Sindhudurg (Maharashtra): A court in Malavan on Friday extended the judicial custody till September 24 of the two prime accused — sculptor Jaydeep Apte and structural consultant Chetan Patil — in the case pertaining to the collapse of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue at Rajkot Fort on August 26.
The police presented Apte and Patil amid tight security in the court after their police custody ended on Friday, said advocate Ganesh Sovani, who represents the sculptor.
The 40-feet tall statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, constructed by Apte, crashed ostensibly due to bad weather on August 26, sparking national outrage that culminated in an apology tendered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Both Apte and Patil went absconding after the collapse.
While Patil was arrested in Kolhapur on August 30, Apte surrendered before Thane Police late on September 4, and was brought to Malvan town in Sindhudurg to face the law.
Hours after the collapse on August 26, the Malvan Police lodged a case in the matter, invoking Bharatiya Nayaya Sanhita Sections 109, 110, 125, 318 and 3(5) pertaining to attempt to murder, culpable homicide not amounting to murder, conspiracy, cheating, etc.
Advocate Sovani, who has termed the charges as ridiculous, illogical, wrong and without application of mind, told IANS that he plans to challenge these stringent sections, as there are no injuries to anybody including tourists, alleged by the police.
Meanwhile, Patil is contemplating moving a bail application in the matter, though his lawyer was not available for comment.
The statue standing 28-feet-tall and mounted on a 12-feet-high pedestal in the sea-side fort, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 4, 2023, coinciding with Navy Day celebrations.
Unfortunately, the stature tumbled down in barely eight months, leading to shock, sadness, anger and disappointment among the people, as well as blame games in the political arena.
–IANS