Mumbai: In the case of the stolen painting by renowned Indian modernist painter SH Raza, the MRA police have recorded statements from both current and former employees of AstaGuru Auction Pvt Ltd regarding the theft of ‘Prakriti,’ a 1992 painting valued at Rs 2.5 crore.
According to police, despite interviewing all staff, no suspects have been identified. “The painting was stolen two years ago, making it difficult to trace the culprit,” an officer said.
Sources reveal that AstaGuru was unaware of the theft until the owner requested a re-auction in March 2024. The auction house stores around 2,000 valuable paintings in its warehouse.
Initial investigations show that five employees, including a recently hired manager, currently work at the godown. The painting had been with AstaGuru since the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the theft occurred in 2022, only three to four months of CCTV footage are available.
On September 9, Siddhant Shetty, the manager of AstaGuru, filed a complaint against an unknown person under section 380 (theft) of the Indian Penal Code.
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S H Raza, born in 1922 in Madhya Pradesh, spent most of his career in France before returning to India in 2010. He was a recipient of the Padma Shri (1981), Padma Bhushan (2007), and Padma Vibhushan (2013) and passed away in 2016.
