Watchdog Foundation urges CM to act, threatens legal action. The appeal includes a copy of a 1999 Andheri Metropolitan Court order, where a similar case saw two Shivaji statues lying in police custody. The statue at Wadi Bunder is currently covered in green cloth and barricaded inside a temporary shed at the far end of a goods platform
A life-size statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj remains locked in a shed at Wadi Bunder near Sandhurst Road
Reacting to mid-day’s front-page report, city-based NGO Watchdog Foundation has written to the chief minister of Maharashtra, demanding the release of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s statue from railway custody for rightful installation. The NGO has also threatened legal action if the statue is not salvaged.
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mid-day had highlighted how a life-size statue of the 17th-century Maratha warrior has been locked in a shed at Wadi Bunder near Sandhurst Road due to lack of permissions.
“We bring to your urgent attention the statue of our national hero, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, which remains confined at Wadi Bunder. Despite its significance, no action has been taken for its rightful installation,” said Nicholas Almeida, trustee of Watchdog Foundation, warning of legal action. “We request your immediate intervention to ensure the statue’s release. Failing this, we will be compelled to take legal recourse,” added trustee Advocate Godfrey Pimenta.
The appeal includes a copy of a 1999 Andheri Metropolitan Court order, where a similar case saw two Shivaji statues lying in police custody. The statue at Wadi Bunder is currently covered in green cloth and barricaded inside a temporary shed at the far end of a goods platform, which is slowly being dismantled.
As South Mumbai MP Arvind Sawant demanded a Shivaji Maharaj statue at Mumbai CSMT station during Shiv Jayanti celebrations on Monday, mid-day had exposed how a life-size statue of the warrior remains locked away. “The absence of a statue at CSMT reflects poorly on the Maharashtra government, as it shows a lack of self-respect,” Sawant had remarked. Railway officials cited two directives preventing the installation of statues on railway premises.
First, an Indian Railways circular from the 1970s prohibits statues of national leaders at station premises, stating they are “not considered appropriate places to honor national heroes.” This includes plaques, murals, and memorials. Second, CSMT is a UNESCO-listed heritage site where no modifications or installations are allowed.
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