Sculptor Jaydeep Apte, who was responsible for making the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, is currently on the run. He has been missing from his home in Kalyan since the statue collapse incident. Another accused, Chetan Patil, is also missing. The police have filed an FIR against both.
Chetan Patil is a structural consultant from Kolhapur. When the Sindhudurg crime branch team visited their homes, they could not find either Chetan Patil in Kolhapur or Jaydeep Apte in Kalyan. The Sindhudurg police have formed seven teams to find the accused. Two teams are handling technical analysis, while five teams are searching in Mumbai, Kalyan, Thane, Kolhapur, and Goa.
The police are conducting raids but have not yet found any clues about the accused.
Who is Jaydeep Apte?
Jaydeep Apte is a 25-year-old resident of Kalyan, near Mumbai. He is reportedly close to Shrikant Shinde, the son of Mumbai’s MP and Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Jaydeep is an alumnus of Mumbai’s JJ School of Arts. It is alleged that his connection with Shrikant Shinde helped him get the contract for the statue, despite having no significant experience in making large statues before.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has assured that the Navy will help in creating a grand statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji. However, the opposition, led by the Maha Vikas Aghadi, continues to criticize the government over the issue and has even organized a march in protest.
