Cops say sculptor was in hiding before arrest, lawyer claims he surrendered

THANE: Jaydeep Apte, the sculptor responsible for making the 28-feet tall statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Malvan that collapsed last month, was hiding in Indore and Dhule districts prior to his arrest on Wednesday, said police. But the sculptor’s lawyer claimed that reports of his arrest were false, and he had surrendered voluntarily.
“Apte was hiding in Indore and Dhule districts since the registration of the FIR in the case till we arrested him on Wednesday,” said deputy commissioner of police Sachin Gunjal.
Another police officer said that the 29-year-old sculptor’s family began urging him to surrender and co-operate with the police after the surrender of structural engineer Chetan Patil. “When Apte agreed to return home, the police were alerted and accordingly teams were posted at Kalyan railway station and near his house,” said the officer.
The police team apprehended him at around 10.15pm on Wednesday as he was approaching his house wearing a mask, the police officer added. “He was carrying two bags when he was stopped by the police while entering his building. He broke down and revealed his identity,” said the officer.
Apte’s lawyer, advocate Ganesh Sovani, however, said it was decided that he would surrender voluntarily.
“The story that Apte emerged from hiding and was then arrested by the police is false. Some individuals have engaged in dirty politics to further their own agendas in this case,” said Sovani. Apte’s family thought it appropriate for him to surrender and cooperate with the police instead of seeking pre-arrest bail, he said, adding, “After discussions, it was decided that he would surrender at the Bajarpeth police station in Kalyan and face the legal process.”
No prior experience
Jaydeep Apte was born and brought up in the Doodh Naka area of Kalyan West. He completed his schooling from Subhedar Wada High School in Kalyan, after which he studied commercial art at the Raheja School of Arts at the undergraduate level, followed by a post-graduate diploma in sculpture from the JJ School of Art.
“Sculptor Sadashiv Sathe, who had his studio near Subedar Wada high school, had a big influence on Apte,” said a relative. He had decided to pursue a career in art when he was in class eight, the relative added.
After completing his post-graduate diploma, Apte started his own firm, M/s Artistry. In 2019, he sculpted a statue of Appasaheb Patwardhan at his workshop in Kalyan, which was installed at Kankavli in Sindhudurg district. He was felicitated by BJP MLA Nitesh Rane during the unveiling of the statue.
M/S Artistry subsequently bagged the ₹2.44-crore contract for making and installing the Shivaji statue at Rajkot fort in Malvan, also in Sindhudurg district. The 28-feet statue was sculpted and erected in just seven months, under the supervision of Kolhapur-based structural consultant Chetan Patil.
Apte had no experience of making a full-size statue prior to this as he had mostly worked on small statues and busts, said sources. He had created a lion sculpture at Khadakpada chowk in Kalyan and sent small statues and busts to Sydney and London, the sources added. The sculptor had himself admitted to the lack of experience in installing full-size statues during an interview with a magazine last year.
Concerns during routine check
The Shivaji statue at Rajkot fort was inaugurated by prime minister Narendra Modi on December 4 last year. Barely nine months after its installation, on August 26, the statue collapsed, sparking massive outrage over the poor-quality work and negligence in its maintenance.
According to the FIR registered by the Malvan police, the public works department had conducted a routine check of the statue six days prior to its collapse. It was noticed during this exercise that the statue had rusted at some places and people were apprehensive that it might collapse and pose a threat to the lives of people visiting the fort. The public works department had informed Apte’s firm about it, but no measures were taken to address the issue, said sources.
Meanwhile, Apte’s workshop behind his residence in Kalyan, where six workers were employed, has been shut down, and all the material has been removed. The workshop is now locked, and only a few statues of soldiers are found lying in the premises.