Toppling politics: From monument to mess

Jaydeep Apte, accused in Shivaji statue collapse, faces legal battle amid political turmoil and religious sentiments in Maharashtra.

For a moment, Jaydeep Apte’s black mask falls. Seated on a wooden bench on the veranda of the Malvan courthouse on September 10, he catches a glimpse of his nine-year-old daughter. His face breaks out in a smile, and he holds her eye briefly, until he is led into the courtroom. Apte, 39, is the primary accused in the case of the recent collapse of a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji in southern Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district.

Commissioned by the Indian Navy, with a deadline of six months, the 28-foot-high statue, from sandal to sword, designed by Apte has caused great political turmoil, both in Maharashtra and at the Centre. The 17th-century Maratha king is seen as a challenger of British and Mughal (Muslim) authority, and a preserver of the (Hindu) faith. A number of political parties in the State derive their muscular imagery from Shivaji’s Maratha might. Inaugurated at Rajkot Fort by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year on Navy Day, December 4, the statue collapsed on August 26.

The court overlooks the Arabian Sea — turbulent during the monsoon, the lifeline of fisherfolk the rest of the year, and water sports enthusiasts’ summer sojourn. Now, winds blow, and swimming has been banned. It was the strong winds, at 45 km per hour, and lashing rain that brought the statue down, cracking at the ankles. That, and poor construction, say prosecution lawyers.

With Apte is structural engineer Chetan Patil. They have been charged under Sections 109 (attempt to murder), 110 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 125 (act endangering life and personal safety of others), 318 (cheating), and 3(5) (criminal act with common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. However, when the statue collapsed, nobody was present at the site, so there was no loss of life.

Within the courtroom, with its weather-friendly sloping tiled roof, legal arguments begin on whether Apte’s police custody should be extended to five more days, or whether he should be remanded in judicial custody in Sawantwadi Jail, about 50 km away.

The police press for an extension, saying their interrogation has not yet been completed. They are also awaiting the report of a Kolhapur-based forensic team that had collected metal samples from the statue and its supporting structure to check for wear and tear. The judge obliges; police custody is extended till September 13.

Apte’s daughter; wife Nishigandha, 33; and mother, 65, sit stoically through the court proceedings. “After the statue collapsed, my husband received a call from the Navy asking him to visit Rajkot Fort,” she says. “He was scared for his life, and went into hiding.”