Painting was last seen by staff in 2022 but the matter came to light only recently, say cops
S H Raza (left) and one of the many paintings titled Prakriti from the artist’s collection
A famous painting by Padma Vibhushan S H Raza, Prakriti, worth Rs 2.5 crore, has been reported stolen from a top Kala Ghoda auction house. The MRA Marg police have registered a case of theft based on the complaint of an executive from the auction house, AstaGuru Pvt Ltd. Raza’s paintings attract bids running into several crores in auctions.
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Siddhant Shetty, the manager of AstaGuru, registered an FIR against an unknown person on Monday. According to the police, the investigation has begun but due to Ganesh Chaturthi, most of the staff has been deployed on bandbast duty. Officials, meanwhile, have completed the necessary paperwork.
The police registered the FIR against an unknown person on Monday. Representation Pic
Police sources said the auction firm did not notice that the painting, which was last seen in 2022, was missing till the owner asked for his collection back. AstaGuru Pvt Ltd has around 2,000 expensive paintings in its possession, all of which are stored in its warehouse.
“S H Raza is a renowned painter and his work Prakriti is owned by one Indraveer. It was last seen in the warehouse in 2022. When Indraveer asked for the painting to be auctioned, the management realised that it had gone missing and they approached us with a complaint. We are looking into the matter,” said a police officer.
The MRA Marg police registered the FIR under Section 380 (theft) of the Indian Penal Code as the theft is believed to have taken place in 2022. mid-day contacted Shetty, but he declined to comment on the matter.
Who is S H Raza?
>> Sayed Haider Raza was an Indian painter who lived and worked in France for most of his career.
>> His most famous Bindu series was influenced by his study of Indian philosophy and the concept of the Bindu as the source of all creation.
>> He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1981, Padma Bhushan in 2007, the Padma Vibhushan in 2013.
1992
Year Raza painted Prakriti
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