Renowned Raza's 'Prakriti' Vanishes from Mumbai Warehouse

A valuable painting by Sayed Haider Raza, named 'Prakriti' and valued over Rs 2.5 crore, has gone missing from a Mumbai warehouse. The artwork, last seen in March 2022, was reported stolen by the auction house officials. Police have registered a case and are investigating the matter.

A painting by noted artist Sayed Haider Raza, valued at more than Rs 2.5 crore, has allegedly been stolen from a warehouse in south Mumbai, police said on Wednesday.

The painting, titled 'Prakriti' and created by Raza in 1992, was taken from the AstaGuru Auction House Private Limited's warehouse, according to an official from the MRA Marg police station.

The police registered an FIR on Monday against unidentified persons in connection with the theft.

Sayed Haider Raza, who spent most of his career in France, passed away in 2016 at the age of 94.

His acrylic artwork had been housed in the warehouse at Ballard Pier in south Mumbai during the coronavirus pandemic, as per the official.

The painting was last accounted for in March 2022, the official added.

After the absence of the painting was discovered, the auction house's Chief Administrative Officer, Siddhant Shetty, filed a complaint with the MRA Marg police.

'We have formed a team to recover the painting,' the official stated. 'We are examining CCTV footage to identify the culprit,' he added.

The complaint indicated that the painting was consigned to the auction house by its owner, Indra Veer, in 2020 for auctioning.

It was last seen in March 2022, the official reiterated.

Veer requested that the facility authorities store it for potential auction this year, but it was discovered missing after a search among approximately 1,500 artworks, he said.

Upon realizing the painting was missing, Shetty lodged the police complaint, the official noted.

The police have registered the case against unidentified persons under Indian Penal Code section 380 (theft), he said.

(With inputs from agencies.)