2 Antique Statues Worth Over ₹3.5 Crore Repatriated to IndiaTop Stories

September 06, 2018 11:56
2 Antique Statues Worth Over ₹3.5 Crore Repatriated to India

(Image source from: NDTV.com)

Two expensive antique statues stolen from India and on display at museums in the United States have been repatriated to India, PTI reported on Thursday.

At a ceremony at the Indian Consulate in New York, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr on Tuesday handed over the idols to India's Consul General in New York, Ambassador Sandeep Chakravorty.

The export of art and antique items by anyone other than agencies authorized by the Indian government is illegal.

Looting world heritage for profit is a "tragedy", Vance said. "Trading in stolen artifacts is a crime and my office’s Antiquities Trafficking Unit is committed to recovering these precious items and returning them to their countries of origin for the benefit of all those who seek to study, view and appreciate these treasured relics," he said. After evidence of their theft was provided, the owners of both statues forfeited them.

Subhash Kapoor, the main accused in this case, is currently lodged in a prison in Tamil Nadu's Trichy, reported Firstpost. Kapoor, who holds the U.S. citizenship and was extradited from Germany in 2012, is being tried in two separate incidents of antique thefts.

The first statue, called Lingodhbhavamurti, is made of granite and shows an iconic representation of Shiva. Dating back to the 12th century and the Chola dynasty, it is currently valued at about $2,25,000 (about Rs 1.6 crore). Stolen from Tamil Nadu, it was on display in Alabama’s Birmingham Museum.

By Sowmya Sangam

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Tagged Under :
Antique Statues  United States  India