A court has ordered the seizure of two controversial paintings by the late, renowned artist MF Husain, displayed at the Delhi Art Gallery. The paintings, which depict Hindu deities, were deemed offensive by advocate Amita Sachdeva, who filed a complaint accusing them of disrespecting religious figures.
Court Decision and Seizure of Paintings
The court’s order, issued by Judicial Magistrate First Class Sahil Monga, came after a plea by Sachdeva. The court instructed the investigating officer (IO) to seize the paintings and submit a report by January 22. The order follows an application filed under Section 94 of the BNSS, which allows for the seizure of items deemed necessary for investigation.
In the court’s ruling, it was noted that the Delhi Art Gallery had provided a list of displayed paintings, with the disputed artworks listed as Serial No. 6 and 10. These paintings were part of a private exhibition intended to showcase Husain’s original works. The investigating officer had already secured CCTV footage and a Network Video Recorder (NVR) from the gallery, which confirmed the paintings were on display.
Background of the Case: Sachdeva’s Complaint
Sachdeva’s complaint stems from her visit to the art gallery during the exhibition in December 2023. On December 8, she photographed the paintings and, the following day, filed a complaint accusing the artworks of being offensive. She argued that they disparaged Hindu deities and violated public sentiment.
In December, Sachdeva had approached the court to preserve the CCTV footage from the gallery, dating from December 4 to December 10. The footage was subsequently preserved, and on January 4, the investigating officer filed a report confirming its availability.
In her post on X (formerly Twitter), Sachdeva revealed that when she visited the gallery with the investigating officer on December 10, the paintings had already been removed. The gallery staff reportedly claimed the works were never displayed, a statement Sachdeva refuted by sharing her own photos taken on December 8.
Impact of the Court’s Ruling
The court’s decision to seize the paintings underscores the ongoing tension between artistic expression and religious sensitivity in India. MF Husain’s artworks have long been at the center of similar controversies, raising questions about the boundaries of art in relation to cultural and religious values.
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(input from agencies)