Tihar DG has own statue in jail, says never asked anyone to pray before it

Mehra’s statue is placed next to that of Bharat Mata and those of Radha-Krishna with a cow. Near these stand a likeness of Mahatma Gandhi. The area is out of bounds for outsiders — only jail officials and inmates of Jail Number 1 have access.

Hours after it was reported on Saturday that a lawyer had spotted some prisoners paying obeisance to the DG’s statue, social networking sites were abuzz with Tihar DG’s similarities to BSP leader Mayawati, who had installed her numerous statues across UP.

Speaking to Newsline, Mehra said no prisoner was asked to bow before her statue. “I did not even know that he was making the statue. There are several other statues in the compound, built by our inmates. The one who sculpted mine has also made a sculpture of Bharat Mata and Radha-Krishna. Let me put it on record that the maximum cost of the statue could not have been more than Rs 5,000.”

Mehra said since Chander was talented, he had been given the task of making several statues to adorn the prison compound. “He made the statue of an elephant and a fish right next to the entrance of the jail. Why would anyone pray to my statue? Why would I ask anyone to do that?” she said.

Chander is presently serving a life sentence for murder. He completed the statue in January and it was inaugurated by Mehra herself on January 27.