Shivaji Maharaj Statue Collapse: Engineer Named In FIR Claims He Only Worked On Platform

A structural engineer, Chetan Patil, who was named in an FIR following the collapse of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's statue at Fort Rajkot in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg, has claimed that he was not responsible for the statue itself, only the platform.

Patil, speaking to Marathi news channel ABP Majha, stated, "I did not have anything to do with the statue." He clarified that his involvement was limited to submitting the platform design to the Indian Navy through the public works department.

Patil further explained, "A Thane-based company did the statue-related work. I was just asked to work on the platform on which the statue was being erected."

The 35-foot statue, unveiled just nine months earlier by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, collapsed on August 26, sparking widespread outrage.

Opposition parties have demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, calling the incident an insult to the legacy of the 17th-century Maratha emperor.

The state public works department has accused the statue's construction of being of poor quality.

The Deputy Chief Minister has publicly apologized for the collapse, while both the state government and the Indian Navy have launched investigations. The Navy is also taking steps to restore and repair the statue.

Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh took a jab at PM Modi and the Maharashtra government by sharing a video on X, showing former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru inaugurating a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Pratapgad on November 30, 1957. "67 years later, the statue still stands tall and undamaged," Ramesh remarked.