New Delhi: A rare painting by Raja Ravi Varma – said by some to be his last work – is at the center of a high-stakes legal battle involving multiple ownership claims.The painting “Kadambari” by the 19th century master is currently in the collection of the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, which recently assured the Delhi High Court that as a private museum, it will only display the artifact and will not sell it further.The artwork, estimated to be worth over Rs 100 crore, was originally owned by a Delhi-based art collector, who had moved the HC alleging that he was “duped” by his close associates into handing it over to them, thereby losing a work of immense emotional and cultural value to the country. Colleagues sold the painting, he said.

“Imminent risk of paintings being transferred to Australian galleries”

Art collector Mohinder Verma claims in the lawsuit that in 2021 he entrusted the masterpiece to colleagues he considered trustworthy because one of them was also a director of Verma’s company. However, they first deceived him into accepting an advance payment of 30 million rupees in pounds in London and then reported him to the local police, leading to him being jailed abroad.Taking advantage of his imprisonment, the people he entrusted with the care and restoration of the painting sold the artwork through a network of middlemen who made it clear that no further action could be taken without his express approval. The lawsuit alleges that the painting was eventually purchased by the Kieran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA) for a large sum at a public auction held by Saffronart, while the original owner was completely kept in the dark.Meanwhile, British police dropped the charges against Verma and he was acquitted. After returning to India, he lodged a complaint against his associates with the Delhi police, triggering an FIR and investigation.

When hearing the lawsuit, Judge Mini Pushkar asked both parties to first conduct pre-litigation mediation. During the hearing, the defendant told the court that Verma’s brother and sister-in-law should also be made parties to the proceedings because they claimed ownership of the painting.The HC agreed and said it was “of the opinion that the complainant’s brother and sister-in-law should appear before the court”. It requires the duo to also appear at mediation along with other parties. In the lawsuit, Verma explained why he was eager to go to court, claiming he had recently learned that the Queensland Art Gallery in Brisbane, Australia, was setting up a dedicated department for paintings by Raja Ravi Varma.“The plaintiff was informed by several prominent art dealers that Kadambari was intended to be permanently exhibited at the gallery, resulting in its removal from India, beyond the territorial jurisdiction of this court. The plaintiff therefore submits that the painting is at imminent risk of being transferred to the Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, Australia,” Verma said in his plea.Lawyer Giriraj Subramanium, appearing for the art collector, argued that those who profit from the commercialization of art cannot escape their responsibility to verify ownership and urged the court to hold intermediaries accountable.With Verma naming auction houses and market intermediaries as defendants in the suit, any decision by the HC is likely to impact the long-standing “culture of informality” in the Indian art trade. The lawsuit also emphasizes that auction houses and buyers must first verify the provenance of an artwork before going further.