The statue was placed at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Chowk, located on the Gevrai–Majalgaon state highway in Talwada. The demand to install a statue at this location had been pending for years. A previous attempt had also been made, but police intervened and stopped the installation. This time, Shiv lovers planned and executed the act under the cover of night to avoid administrative intervention.
Following the statue’s erection late Wednesday night, firecrackers were burst, and the village celebrated the event in a festive atmosphere. Upon receiving the news, API Manoj Nilangekar rushed to the site, followed by Tehsildar Sandeep Khomane, who conducted an inspection the next morning.
Despite the legal consequences, villagers gathered in large numbers at the site throughout Thursday to offer their tributes, underscoring the deep reverence for the Maratha king.
The Public Works Department (PWD) filed a formal complaint, citing that the statue was erected on government land without administrative approval. Acting on the complaint, authorities registered a case against 30 individuals involved in the unauthorized installation.
In a related event, a coronation-position statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was also erected in Jamgaon village, Ashti taluka. Following a complaint from a village servant, a case has been registered against four youths for erecting the statue without permission.
These incidents have once again highlighted the tension between cultural sentiment and legal protocol. While the public continues to honor Shivaji Maharaj with enthusiasm and emotion, authorities emphasize the need for procedural compliance, especially when it comes to installations on public land.