The Bombay High Court on Thursday granted bail to Chetan Patil, a consultant arrested in connection with the collapse of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s statue at Rajkot Fort in Malvan, Sindhudurg district. The 35-foot statue of the iconic Maratha warrior, unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Navy Day nine months ago, collapsed on August 26. Patil was arrested from Kolhapur on August 30 following the incident.
A single bench of Justice A.S. Kilor on Thursday ruled that no case was made out against consultant Chetan Patil in the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue collapse incident. The court noted that Patil was not appointed as the structural designer of the statue and had only submitted a structural stability report for the pedestal, which remained intact after the collapse. Another accused in the case, Jaydeep Apte, who served as the sculptor and contractor, was also arrested. The High Court is set to hear his bail plea on November 25.
The bench further said Patil had only submitted a structural stability report of the pedestal of the statue and the pedestal was intact even after the collapse. Another accused, Jaydeep Apte, who was the sculptor and contractor, was also arrested in the case. The HC said it would hear his bail plea on November 25.