Read Time: 04 minutes

Synopsis

A Criminal Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Bombay High Court seeking action against Public Works Department (PWD) officials responsible for constructing the 40-foot Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue that collapsed in Sindhudurg district.

The plea, filed by former journalist Ketan Tirodkar, alleges that the statue was built without conducting necessary environmental assessments or considering the impact of wind speed. It further states that the materials used, including salty ingredients that could rust the metal and inadequately fitted nuts and bolts, contributed to the statue's collapse.

The PIL further states that the state is responsible for the international shame brought to the country due to the crashing of a statue built 9 months ago.

“The State as a whole has been responsible for the international shame brought to our country by virtue of the crashing statue that was built just nine months ago in a span of seven months just like a irresponsible builder erecting illegal chawls for illiterate and needy home buyers,” the plea reads.

The petition further states that the statue of the Grand Maratha Emperor Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, which collapsed in Malvan within nine months of its erection, underscores the responsibility of the Public Works Department (PWD) and its engineers to maintain public structures, including statues across the state.

The plea argues that the department cannot absolve itself of this responsibility by attributing faults to private sector teams or other government departments involved in the erection process.

The petition seeks directions for the state to take necessary action against those responsible and to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the matter.

Additionally, it requests the formation of a panel comprising weather scientists and engineers from VJTI, Mumbai, and IIT Bombay to design a new statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, 40 feet tall or taller, to be completed within three years (or the minimum period required) at the same location, Rajkot Fort in Sindhudurg District, Konkan region.