Shivaji Statue Collapse: Engineer Arrested in Kolhapur

Chetan Patil, the structural consultant named in the FIR related to the collapse of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's statue in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district, has been arrested in Kolhapur. Patil, who was taken into custody late Thursday night and handed over to Sindhudurg police, claims he only designed the platform and was not involved with the statue itself, which was constructed by a Thane-based company. The 35-foot statue, unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 4, collapsed on August 26, causing significant political fallout and public outrage. The incident has embarrassed the Eknath Shinde-led state government, prompted criticism from opposition parties, and led to multiple investigations by both the state government and the Indian Navy. The Deputy Chief Minister has publicly apologized, and the Navy is working on restoring the statue.