The Bombay High Court has granted bail to Chetan Patil, a consultant implicated in the collapse of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue at Rajkot fort in Malvan, Sindhudurg district. Justice A S Kilor ruled on Thursday that Patil, who was arrested on August 30, did not have a direct role in the structural design of the statue, which led to its collapse on August 26, nearly nine months after it was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Navy Day.
The 35-foot statue of the iconic Maratha warrior king suffered a collapse that raised serious questions about its construction and stability. According to the court, Patil’s involvement was limited to submitting a structural stability report for the statue’s pedestal, which remained intact despite the statue’s fall. This point was crucial in determining his non-complicity in the structural failure that resulted in the collapse.
The court’s decision came after a lower sessions court had earlier rejected bail pleas from Patil and another accused, Jaydeep Apte, who served as the sculptor and contractor for the statue. Apte’s role is currently under greater scrutiny, and his bail plea is scheduled to be heard by the High Court on November 25.
The Sindhudurg police had registered an FIR under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita last month, charging Patil and Apte with negligence among other offenses relating to the statue’s collapse. This incident has sparked widespread concern and debate over the safety standards and quality control in public infrastructure projects, particularly those of significant cultural importance.
