Gothic-style statues, or zoo-zoo look-alikes — conservationists question CSMT restoration as images of shoddy work surface on social media. The issue came to light on Sunday after conservation architect Vikas Dilawari posted pictures of some restored figurines on Twitter. The Roman sculptures on the World Heritage Site were seen blunted and disfigured in the images he shared.

While the intentions of restoration are good, the execution lacks accepted international standards, Dilwari said, adding that suggestions from conservators and professionals would have helped the cause. History enthusiast and member of Bombay Local History Society Aadil Desai said, "They should remove the world heritage status immediately. That's probably what they want to do, so they can go ahead with their plans to modify the area the way they want for commercial purposes. One must protest against this unprofessional approach and see to it that proper conservation work is done by the contractors."