The Kalyan police have apprehended the absconding sculptor Jaideep Apte following the collapse of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue. The full-length statue, located in Rajkot, Sindhudurg district, collapsed on August 26, triggering widespread outrage across Maharashtra, with many expressing anger and disappointment. On Wednesday, a special team from the Kalyan Police Commissioner’s Office arrested Apte and later transferred him to the Sindhudurg police that night.

Apte resided in Kalyan at the Swaminarayan building in the Bazarpeth area of Kalyan West. After the incident, he locked his house and disappeared. He briefly responded to calls from journalists, stating that he was heading to Sindhudurg to assess the situation and couldn’t comment until he saw the statue’s condition. Shortly after, he switched off his phone and went into hiding. “His house in Kalyan was locked. His wife and mother, who had gone to Shahapur, returned to the house after the police stationed barricades following protests by some social organisations.