New Delhi: US authorities have handed over 307 ancient artefacts worth Rs 33 crore to India, including smuggled Sami idols. Most of these were seized from idol smuggling kingpin Subhash Kapoor.
During the British rule, idols and artefacts were stolen from various temples and palaces in India. They are sold abroad and kept in museums. The Government of India is constantly trying to recover them.
In a statement released by the United States District Attorney’s Office in Manhattan, “307 ancient artefacts were handed over to India in a ceremony held at the Consulate General of India in New York City. Its value is around Rs.33 crores. Indian Deputy Consul General Randhir Jaiswal and US Homeland Security Intelligence (HSI) Acting Deputy Special Officer Tom Lau participated in the event.
Out of the 307 items handed over to India, 235 items were recovered based on the interrogation of Subhash Kapoor. “Subhash helped smuggle idols from Afghanistan, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and some other countries,” it said.
This includes 5 items based on an interview with art dealer Nancy Weiner and 1 item based on an interview with Nayeb Hamzi. Apart from this, another 66 items were stolen from India by various petty smugglers.
Subhash Kapoor used to buy ancient idols smuggled from Tamil Nadu and sell them in America. On a complaint in this regard, Subhash Kapoor was arrested in Germany in 2011 with the help of Interpol. He was deported in 2012 and is now lodged in Trichy jail in Tamil Nadu. The case against him is pending.