Shivaji Statue Collapse: Who Is Jaydeep Apte, The Arrested Sculptor?

Sculptor Jaydeep Apte, responsible for the collapsed statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, was arrested near his home in Kalyan, Thane district, on Wednesday night.
According to his counsel, Apte had intended to surrender to authorities after being on the run since the statue collapsed at Rajkot Fort in Malvan on August 26. His lawyer also clarified that Apte did not seek pre-arrest bail, opting instead to face legal proceedings.

The 35-foot statue, which Apte constructed and was unveiled on December 4, 2023, Navy Day, collapsed less than nine months after its installation, snoballing into a major controversy. Opposition parties have targeted the Eknath Shinde-led government, holding it accountable for the incident. A case has been filed against both Apte and structural consultant Chetan Patil, who was arrested from Kolhapur last week, accusing them of negligence.

Who is Jaydeep Apte?

Jaydeep Apte is a 24-year-old sculptor from Kalyan. He had no prior experience in constructing large-scale statues, as per Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) mouthpiece Saamana.

The report claims that Apte was awarded the contract due to his connection with Shrikant Shinde, son of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. This has fueled further criticism, with allegations of favoritism in awarding critical government projects.

The police have filed an FIR against Apte and Patil under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and while Patil was apprehended last week, Apte remained elusive until his arrest.

Jaydeep Apte first came into the spotlight in 2019 when he was commissioned by the UK-based Sikh Soldier Organisation to sculpt a bronze bust of a Sikh soldier, paying tribute to those who served in the British Army during the World Wars.

The statute was later unveiled in West Yorkshire. He also crafted a statuette of Manilal Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi's son, for the Dandi Memorial in Gujarat.