An Irish American artist Michale J Ryan’s painting worth Rs 50K went missing while it was being ferried from the Jehangir Art Gallery in Kala Ghoda to his office in Colaba by his fashion designer wife Vanesha D'Souza. Michale Ryan used to keep paintings made by her husband on the 3rd floor of the Eucharistic Congress Building on Convent Street, Colaba, according to a complaint lodged by her with the local police.
As per Vanesha's complaint
In the complaint, Vanesha said an exhibition of Ryan’s expressionistic paintings were to be held at Jahangir Art Gallery from December 12 to 18. On December 11, a day before the exhibition was to open, she asked a person named Gaurav to deliver 49 paintings to the art gallery and agreed to pay him Rs800 for doing this.
Vanesha sought to accompany Gaurav in the tempo to the gallery but the latter did not agree to this, she said. As such, she took a taxi. When Vanesha reached the art gallery, she asked the tempo to unload only 34 paintings and asked Gaurav to take the remaining 15 paintings to her office.
Ryan’s sister and a man named Piyush, who had accompanied Gaurav, then left for the office with 15 paintings; Gaurav stayed back and helped Vanesha unload the 34 paintings from the tempo and place them in the gallery. When the exhibition ended, Gaurav brought all paintings back to the office in Colaba.
Vanehsa found out that one painting was missing
However, on December 21, when Vanesha went to the office, she found out that one painting was missing. A Colaba police officer said that, in the complaint lodged, Vanesha has said that she suspects Guarav. The police have registered an FIR against an unknown person in this matter and started investigation.
