Chhatrapati Shivaji statue collapse: Police arrest structural consultant amid rising tensions

The 35-foot statue of the 17th-century Maratha warrior king, which was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Rajkot Fort in Malvan tehsil of Sindhudurg on Navy Day (December 4) last year, collapsed on Monday at around 1 pm, leading to massive controversy and criticism.

Chetan Patil, the structural consultant named in the FIR regarding the collapse of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's statue in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district, has been arrested in Kolhapur, police said on Friday (August 30). Patil was arrested late Thursday night and transferred to the Sindhudurg police for further investigation, as confirmed by Kolhapur Superintendent of Police, Mahendra Pandit.

Patil, a resident of Kolhapur, had previously denied being the structural consultant for the statue itself. In an interview with a news channel, he clarified that while he submitted the platform's design to the Indian Navy through the state's Public Works Department (PWD), he was not involved in the statue's construction. He also said that a Thane-based company handled the statue-related work, limiting his role to the platform only.

The 35-foot statue of the 17th-century Maratha warrior king, which was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Rajkot Fort in Malvan tehsil of Sindhudurg on Navy Day (December 4) last year, collapsed on Monday at around 1 pm, leading to massive controversy and criticism.

In addition to Patil, a contractor involved in the project has also been arrested. The incident has caused significant embarrassment for the Eknath Shinde-led state government, drawing sharp criticism and protests from opposition parties. Shinde noted that the statue was designed and constructed by the Indian Navy.

State Congress Chief Nana Patole accused the sculptor of having close ties with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), while state Cultural Affairs Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar countered by alleging the sculptor was close to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Opposition parties have called the incident an "insult to the legacy" of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and demanded an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) also staged silent protests in Pune and other parts of western Maharashtra on Thursday, demanding accountability for the statue’s collapse. Meanwhile, the Indian Navy issued a statement clarifying that it had conceptualized and overseen the installation project in coordination with the state government, which provided funding for the endeavor.