LOC Issued Against Contractor Over Shivaji Statue Collapse

Police in Sindhudurg district have issued a Look Out Circular against contractor Jaydeep Apte after the collapse of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's statue at Rajkot fort. Apte and structural consultant Chetan Patil were held responsible. The incident has sparked political controversy ahead of Maharashtra's assembly elections.

Police in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district have issued a Look Out Circular against contractor Jaydeep Apte in connection with the collapse of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue at Rajkot fort, officials reported on Tuesday.

An LOC is typically disseminated to airports and all other exit points to prevent a person from leaving the country.

Apte, a Thane-based sculptor, had been contracted to make the statue. Its collapse on August 26 occurred less than nine months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated it on the coastal fort.

Following the collapse, Malvan police registered a case against Apte and structural consultant Chetan Patil for negligence and other related offences. Patil was arrested in Kolhapur, whereas efforts continued to locate Apte, with Malvan police issuing the LOC for him. The collapse of the statue of the iconic founder of the Maratha state has sparked significant political controversy ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in Maharashtra.

(With inputs from agencies.)