The statue of Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district collapsed on Monday. The 35-feet statue inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi last year fell at around 1 p.m. Experts are anticipating over the fact that heavy rainfall and strong winds for past two three days are the reasons behind the destruction of the structure. The statue was inaugurated by the PM on 4^th December last year as a part of the country’s Navy Day celebrations.

FIR had been lodged against contractor Jaydeep Apte and structure consultant Chetan Patil under Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) sections; the charges include collusion, fraud and endangering public safety. Public Works Department (PWD) also issued complaint demanding that the construction was of bad quality, and the materials used in the structure are found to be defective.