Shivaji statue sculptor booked on attempt to murder charge
Despite knowing that if the statue collapses there will be huge loss of lives, the sculptors and structural consultants built it in poor quality, the complainant alleged.
3 min read
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue (File Photo)The Sindhudurg Police booked the sculptor and the structural consultant of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue at Rajkot Fort that collapsed on Monday. The accused were booked under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) related to attempt to commit culpable homicide, act endangering the life or personal safety of others, attempt to murder, and cheating.
An FIR in the regard was filed on Monday night against sculptor Jaideep Apte, proprietor Artistry, and structural consultant Dr. Chetan S Patil, based on a complaint lodged by Ajit Patil, assistant engineer of Public Works Department.
The complaint filed by PWD alleges poor construction quality, with rusted nuts and bolts discovered in the structure in the inspection carried out by it on August 20. It further states that the contractor was also informed and instructed to take permanent measures for the stability of the structure.
The FIR stated that Apte and Patil colluded with each other and constructed the statue without conducting thorough study and as a result, the statue fell down on August 26.
It alleges that the incident may have caused the death of the people present there, so they committed an act of causing loss of life.
Similarly, they tried to harm human lives by erecting the statue in a wrong and inferior manner. The FIR further stated that they defrauded the government by not utilising the government funds for the construction of the statue and damaged the public property by doing a shoddy construction.
Apte could not be reached for the comments and his workshop situated in Kalyan town was closed Tuesday.
According to the complaint filed by the PWD officials, the the department had transferred Rs 2.44 crore to the Naval dockyard for the construction of the statue in Malvan, as per their demand.
Accordingly, a foundation (base) of about 12 feet high was constructed for the statue and a replica statue about 28 feet high was installed on it. In the complaint, the PWD said that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is the national hero of India and taking into consideration the safety of the said statue, it was very important to construct the statue perfectly in order to build a safe monument for centuries and to take the necessary utmost care of it.
Despite knowing that if the statue collapses there will be huge loss of lives, the sculptors and structural consultants built it in poor quality, the complainant alleged.
Apte and Patil have been booked under section 109(attempt to murder), 110(attempt to commit culpable homicide), 125 (endanger the life or personal safety of others), 318 (cheating and forgery and 3(5)(common intention) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita(BNS) and under Section 3 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984 covers mischief that causes damage to public property.
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