Shivaji Statue Collapse: A statue of Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, which was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a fort in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district, collapsed on Monday (August 26, 2024). The 35-foot statue fell around 1 p.m. at Rajkot Fort in Malvan.
While experts are set to determine the exact cause, the official noted that the district has experienced heavy rains and strong winds over the past two to three days. After the incident, local police registered an FIR against contractor Jaydeep Apte and structural consultant Chetan Patil.
They have been charged under sections 109, 110, 125, 318, and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), according to Sindhudurg Police. “An FIR has been registered by local police in the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue incident against contractor Jaydeep Apte and structural consultant Chetan Patil under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Sections 109, 110, 125, 318, and 3(5),” quoted Sindhudurg Police officials as saying.
While suggesting that the statue collapsed due to strong winds, the Chief Minister said that he would reinstall the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at the same place. “The incident that happened is unfortunate. This statue was erected by the Navy. They had also designed it. But due to strong winds of around 45 km/h, it fell and got damaged.” ANI quoted Eknath Shinde as saying.
He added, “Tomorrow, officials from PWD and the Navy will visit the site and investigate the cause. I sent Public Works Minister Ravindra Chavan to the site as soon as I heard about the incident.”
Expressing concern over the damage the Indian Navy said, “Along with the State Government and concerned specialists, the Navy has deputed a team to immediately investigate the cause of this unfortunate accident and initiate steps to repair, restore and reinstate the statue at the earliest”.
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