Shivaji Maharaj statue collapse: Cops record statements of artist's wife and son

Thane: Police in Maharashtra, who have registered an FIR against artist Jaydeep Apte in connection with the collapse of a Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue, on Thursday recorded statements of his wife and son, an official said.

Apte resided in Kalyan town of Thane district with his family members, but they vacated their residence due to safety concerns following the collapse of the statue installed at Rajkot Fort in Malvan taluka of Sindhudurg district, around 480km from Mumbai, on August 26.

A team of the Malvan police recorded the statements of Apte's wife and son with help from their Kalyan counterparts, said Inspector Pravin Kolhe.

However, Apte, who built the 35-foot statue of the 17th-century Maratha empire founder, remains untraceable, said the inspector from the Malvan police.

According to sources, during statement recording, the artist's family members were asked about the profession of Apte.

After the structure collapsed, the Malvan police filed an FIR against Apte and structural engineer Chetan Patil, who was also part of the project, on a complaint of the state the Public Works Department (PWD).

The statue was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December last year.