The Bombay High Court on Thursday granted bail to consultant Chetan Patil, who was arrested in connection with the collapse of a 35-foot statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at the Rajkot Fort in Malvan in Sindhudurg district. The statue unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Navy Day nine months ago fell on August 26. The incident sparked widespread outrage, prompting police action.
Chetan Patil’s arrest
Chetan Patil, who was arrested in Kolhapur on August 30, and sculptor-contractor Jaideep Apte were booked under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for negligence and other charges related to the collapse.
High Court decision
Justice A.S. Kilor, who presided over the hearing, ruled that Patil could not be held responsible for the collapse as he was not responsible for the construction of the statue. The court noted that Patil’s role was limited to submitting a structural stability report of the building on the pedestal, which remained in effect after the statue collapsed.
Pending pleas
Patil has been granted bail, but the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear Jaideep Apte’s bail plea on November 25.
