Delhi court orders seizure of Hussain paintings depicting Hanuman and Ganesha
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A Delhi court has ordered the seizure of two paintings by the late artist MF Husain, which were displayed at an art gallery in the national capital, after a complaint was filed alleging that the paintings depicted Hindu deities Hanuman and Ganesha in an offensive manner, leading to legal action.
The order was issued by Judicial Magistrate First Class Sahil Monga of the Patiala House Courts following a plea by advocate Amita Sachdeva, who had requested the seizure of the paintings by the investigating officer, claiming they were inappropriate.
Sachdeva reported that she had photographed the paintings at DAG, formerly known as the Delhi Art Gallery, in Connaught Place on December 4, and she subsequently filed a police complaint on December 9 after reviewing previous complaints filed against Husain.
When she returned to the gallery on December 10, she found the paintings had been removed, leading her to allege on social media that their previous display was falsely denied.
Sachdeva also questioned the acceptability of exhibiting such paintings under the guise of art, and she filed applications for a formal case and the preservation of security camera footage from the relevant dates.
In his order, Magistrate Monga referred to the police’s action taken report, which confirmed that the investigating officer had seized the gallery's security footage and network video recorder, and the report included a list from the Delhi Art Gallery where the contentious paintings were listed at Serial No. 6 and 10, suggesting that they had been part of the exhibition.
The inquiry revealed that the exhibition was held in a private space, and it aimed to showcase Husain's original works, though the display of these particular pieces prompted further investigation.
The art gallery has acknowledged the situation and stated that while they are not currently involved in the court proceedings, they are reviewing the matter and seeking legal counsel, as Husain, a renowned artist and recipient of the Padma Vibhushan, had often faced controversy for his depictions of religious figures.