Mumbai

In the aftermath of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue collapse at Rajkot Fort, the Maharashtra government has made a surprising move. The Sindhudurg Collector, Kishor S. Tawade, has been transferred to a less prominent role and his position has been downgraded to a non-IAS junior administrative level. Anil A. Patil, the Managing Director of Haffkine Bio-Pharmaceutical Corporation Ltd, has been appointed as the new Sindhudurg Collector.

This decision came a week after the 28-foot statue, placed on a 10-foot platform in Malvan, fell due to suspected weather conditions. Tawade will now lead the Maharashtra State Farming Corporation Ltd in Pune, while Patil takes over in Sindhudurg, a key coastal district. The sudden downgrade of the Collector’s post has sparked controversy. Constitutional expert Barrister Vinod Tiwari questioned the rationale behind the move, especially with upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections. The statue’s collapse on August 26 had already caused public outrage and political turmoil, prompting apologies from Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, and even a public apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Despite the PM’s gesture, opposition protests continue. Meanwhile, sculptor Jaydeep Apte remains at large, while his associate Chetan Patil has been arrested