Art, Arrest & Auction: How a Rs 100 cr ‘last’ masterpiece by Raja Ravi Varma faces a legal ownership battle

A rare painting by Raja Ravi Varma which is believed to be his last work has found itself to a center of a legal battle over ownership, reported TOI. The 19th-century masterpiece, Kadambari, currently present in the possession of Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA), is being exhibited but not sold, the museum assured the Delhi High Court.

Estimated at over ₹100 crore, the painting was originally owned by Delhi-based art collector Mohinder Verma, who alleges he was conned by his close associates into handing it over. Verma claims the associates then sold the artwork without his consent, causing him to lose a work of immense cultural and emotional value.

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According to Verma, in 2021 he entrusted the masterpieces to trusted associates. One of them, also a director in Verma’s company, allegedly deceived him into accepting an advance of Rs 3 crore in pounds sterling in London, then alerted local police, leading to his temporary incarceration. During this time, the painting was sold via intermediaries and auctioned through Saffronart, where the work was acquired by KNMA, all while Verma remained unaware.

After charges were dropped and Verma was acquitted in the UK, he lodged a complaint in India.

During court proceedings, Justice Mini Pushkarna directed the parties to attempt pre-litigation mediation. The defendants argued that Verma’s brother and sister-in-law, who also claim ownership, should also be included in the suit, which the court approved.

Verma raised urgency over the painting’s potential transfer abroad, stating that the Queensland Art Gallery in Brisbane, Australia, plans to dedicate a section to Raja Ravi Varma’s works. He warned that Kadambari could be permanently removed from India, outside the court’s jurisdiction.

Representing Verma, advocate Giriraj Subramanium emphasised that those who profit from the commercialisation of art have a duty verifying the title and urged the court to hold the intermediaries accountable.

The case challenges the longstanding informality in India’s art trade, and highlights the need for auction houses and buyers to verify the provenance of artwork before going forward.

With inputs from TOI