A probe committee has found that the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's statue in Malvan fort collapsed because of a faulty design that was executed poorly, resulting in rusting of the metal and weaker welding joints, after which improper maintenance took its toll on the project launched last year.

The 35-foot-tall statue had collapsed on August 26, leading to public unrest and political tussles between the ruling and Opposition parties, because PM Narendra Modi had inaugurated the statue just eight months ago. The Opposition had alleged corruption and action was demanded. Initially, the fall was blamed on high winds on the coastal fort of Rajkot. Subsequently, the statue's designer/sculptor Jaydip Apte and structural consultant Chetan Patil were arrested on the charges of lapses.