Sculptor of Chhatrapati Shivaji statue arrested after tip-off from wife: Police

Police arrested an artist and ex-JJ School of Art alumnus on Sep 4, in a case related to the collapse of the Chhatrapati Shivaji statue.

Jaydeep Apte’s arrest took place after a tip-off from his wife, who informed the police when Apte was coming back home from Malvan to meet his family, police said. His family and friends had also made attempts to persuade him to surrender before the police.

Teams of Sindhudurg and Thane police had launched a manhunt to nab the sculptor, a Kalyan Mumbai resident who has a workshop close to his house.

Apte's last known destination was when he and a friend left for Malvan around 10 days ago to visit the site where the statue was erected, according to police.

Apte was arrested outside his house when he returned to meet his family. He had contacted his wife and informed her that he was returning home. She shared this information with the police leading to his arrest, according to the police.

His family was worried and wanted him to return home and cooperate in the probe. The police have now left for Malvan along with the sculptor to carry forward the investigations.

A budding sculptor, Apte first came into the limelight in 2019 when he was commissioned by the UK-based Sikh Soldier Organisation to fashion a bronze bust of a Sikh soldier in honor of those who fought in the two World Wars in the British Army, which was unveiled in West Yorkshire.

He also built a statuette of Mahatma Gandhi's son Manilal for the Dandi memorial in Gujarat.

The Shivaji statue at Malvan for which Apte won the contract was a much larger structure at 35 feet.

"Jaydeep is a good sculptor, but, indeed, he did not have the experience of making a big statue,” a newspaper quoted his family friend as having said.

“I am sure that he will not indulge in corruption. He may have committed a mistake," he added.