Shivaji Statue Collapse: Look-Out Circular Issued Against Sculptor Jaydeep Apte

Shivaji Statue Collapse: Police in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district have issued a look-out circular against a contractor named Jaydeep Apte in connection with the collapse of a 35-foot-tall statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Rajkot Fort in Malvan last month, officials, cited by news agency PTI, said on Tuesday.

The purpose of issuing an LOC to airports and all other exit points is to stop a person from fleeing the country. Apte, a Thane-based sculptor, had crafted the now-collapsed statue. In the aftermath of the collapse, an FIR was registered against Apte and structural consultant Chetan Patil for negligence, among other alleged offences.

The statue collapse, which took place on August 26, triggered a massive political row in poll-bound Maharashtra. Shivaji Maharaj, a 17th century Maratha warrior king, is considered a cultural icon in the state.

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The magnitude of the controversy triggered by the collapse of his statue can be guaged by the fact that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had inaugurated it in December last year, himself extended a public apology on Friday.

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"Those who consider Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj as their deity and have been deeply hurt, I bow my head and apologise to them. Our values are different. For us, nothing is bigger than our deity," PM Modi said while addressing a gathering at Malvan itself.

(With inputs from agencies)