Indian artifacts reaching abroad: SC expresses concern

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court today expressed concern over CAG's findings that Indian artifacts have reached foreign auction houses like Sotheby's and Christie's and said that it will later decide the scope of probe.

A bench of justices J Chelameswar and S A Bobde shared its concern over the allegations in the petition and initially suggested that Calcutta High Court may monitor the probe into the affairs of Indian Museum Kolkata.

On being told by senior advocate Dushyant Dave that the CAG report has referred to similar discrepancies in all museums in the country, the bench said that it will later deal with the scope of probe.

"There are serious complaints against the museum. We will later decide what shall be the scope of investigation," it said.

"Centre should be concerned. As a citizen of this country our artifacts are found in other countries. We share this concern in the petition," the bench said.

The court was hearing a habeas corpus petition (a plea filed to secure presence of missing persons) filed by a relative of whistleblower Sunil Kumar Upadhaya, a preservation officer of Indian Museum Kolkata, who is missing.

The court had earlier sought response from the West Bengal government on the plea filed through lawyer Anirudh Sharma.