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Who is Jaydeep Apte, the sculptor of the collapsed Shivaji statue arrested in Maharashtra? – Firstpost

Jaydeep Apte, the sculptor of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue that collapsed in Rajkot fort, was arrested late Wednesday after being on the run for several days.

Apte had been on the run from authorities since the incident on August 26 and was nabbed by officials from Kalyan in Thane district. The police had launched a manhunt to nab the 24-year-old sculptor.

The 35-foot-tall statue, unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Navy Day last year, collapsed just nine months after it was installed following a series of heavy rains in Sindhudurg. The incident sparked a political controversy and raised questions about the execution of the project and Apte's qualifications for such a significant project.

Here's what we know about the sculptor and the controversy surrounding him.

Who is Jaydeep Apte?

The 24-year-old budding sculptor from Thane is a graduate of the JJ School of Art and runs an art business in Kalyan, reported The Times of India (TOI).

Apte first made headlines in 2019 when he was commissioned by the UK-based Sikh Soldier Organisation to create a bronze bust of a Sikh soldier to honour those who fought in the British Army in both World Wars. The statue was unveiled in West Yorkshire.

Later, he took up the project of building a statuette of Manilal Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi's son, for the Dandi Memorial in Gujarat. However, the Shivaji statue in Malvan was larger at 35 feet and he had no experience in building such enormous statues.

There was speculation about how Apte got the commission for the Shivaji statue. Saamana, the mouthpiece of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), claimed that Apte got the commission because of his acquaintance with Shrikant Shinde, the son of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

Apte first made headlines in 2019 when he was commissioned by the UK-based Sikh Soldier Organisation to create a bronze bust of a Sikh soldier to honour those who fought in the British Army in both World Wars. Image courtesy of Sandwellcouncil

A family friend defended Apte, saying: TOI“Jaydeep is a good sculptor but it is true that he does not have the experience to make a big statue. However, I am sure he will not indulge in corruption… it was a mistake.” His friends and colleagues describe him as a member of an educated middle-class family without the shadow of controversy.

“His father, who died a few years ago, worked in a large company and his sister has been living abroad since her marriage,” a family friend told the national newspaper.

Following the collapse of the Shivaji statue, local police filed charges against Apte and civil engineer Chetan Patil under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including charges of attempt to murder, negligence, destruction of public property and attempt to cause wilful murder.

Following the Shivaji statue collapse, local police filed a complaint against Apte and construction consultant Chetan Patil under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including charges of negligence, destruction of public property and attempt to murder with intent to murder. PTI

While Patil was arrested earlier, Apte remained untraceable until his recent arrest.

How was Apte caught by the police?

Police in Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra state had been actively pursuing Jaydeep Apte after the collapse of the Shivaji Maharaj statue.

More than seven teams were deployed to find him and the authorities issued a search notice to prevent him from fleeing the country through seaports, airports or other exit points. The teams searched several locations including Mumbai, Thane, Sindhudurg and Kolhapur and used technical surveillance to track him down.

Accordingly TOIApte's last known movements were traced when he visited Malvan with a friend to check the site where the statue had been installed. After this visit, Apte contacted his wife and informed her that he was returning home, after which she informed the police of her husband's whereabouts.

Although Apte's family declined to comment publicly, police sources said they were concerned for his safety and wanted him to cooperate with the investigation.

The arrest came amid a growing political controversy ahead of the Maharashtra assembly elections.

BJP leader Pravin Darekar remarked, “Those who have been criticising our government must now shut up. It is true that the police took a little long to arrest Jaydeep Apte. We do not take credit for the arrest, but the police have done their job.”

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sushama Andhare said, “The state government should not try to take credit for Apte's arrest… He was not an underworld boss… He should have been arrested earlier.”

With input from agencies

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