Pune: Seventeen individuals, including former Sarpanch Sanjay Kale and Shyam Kale, have been booked by the Shirur Police for illegally installing a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the village square without the required permissions from the Gram Panchayat.

The complaint was lodged by Gram Vikas Officer Balasaheb Shelke, who discovered the unauthorized installation during his routine work on Saturday, 12th October 2024.

According to police reports, Shelke noticed the statue during his visit to the Gram Panchayat office and immediately discussed the matter with Police Patil Indira Jadhav.

It was revealed that the statue had been installed by the accused individuals without completing the necessary legal formalities. The statue was placed illegally during the night between Friday and Saturday, bypassing the requirement to obtain official permission from the local authorities.

The case has been registered under the Maharashtra Control of Statues Act, 1997, for violating the sanctity of public statues. Despite the filing of the case, no arrests have been made as of now. Further investigation is being conducted by Police Constable Aglave.

The accused individuals include Sanjay Dnyandev Kale, Shyamkant Rajhans Kale, Santosh Dnyandev Kale, Bhausaheb Bhagchand Kale, Goraksh Nana Kale, Sandeep Kisan Kale, Vijay Khandu Pote, Dilip Chander Kale, Akshay Dhondiba Dorge, Santosh Manik Jadhav, Pravin Baburao Dorge,

Sandeep Arjun Gawhane, Sagar Dilip Kale, Shrikant Prakash Dorge, Nagesh Raghunath Kale, Shivaji Rajaram Jadhav, and Pramod Vasant Jagtap. The police investigation into the matter is ongoing.