At a reserve price of Rs 29.23 lakh, Chandigarh's heritage items to go under the hammer in US
Ajay Jagga, member of the Heritage Items Protection Cell of the Chandigarh Administration, stated that these pieces appear to have been smuggled out of India, despite the Ministry of Home Affairs having banned their movement abroad in 2011. Jagga has appealed to Dr K Srikar Reddy, consul general of India at San Francisco, to intervene through diplomatic channels and alert auction houses to halt the sale.
He also called for clarity on how these items reached the auction house, seeking documentation such as bills, transportation or export permits, and custody trail, saying these need to be scrutinised.
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