A painting by renowned Indian artist Sayed Haider Raza, valued at over ₹2.5 crore, has been reported stolen from a warehouse in South Mumbai. The artwork, titled Prakriti (Nature), was created in 1992 and had been stored at the AstaGuru Auction House Private Limited’s warehouse at Ballard Pier during the COVID-19 pandemic. The painting was last seen in March 2022, according to the police at MRA Marg police station, who registered an FIR against unknown persons on Monday. Chief Administrative Officer Siddhant Shetty of AstaGuru filed the complaint after discovering the painting was missing. Prakriti was entrusted to the auction house in 2020 by its owner, Indra Veer, for auction. Earlier this year, when the owner requested the auction house to prepare the artwork for sale, it could not be found during a search among approximately 1,500 other pieces. In response, a police team has been formed to investigate the theft, with authorities examining CCTV footage from the area in hopes of identifying the culprit. The case has been registered under IPC Section 380 (theft). Sayed Haider Raza, one of India’s most celebrated modern artists, spent much of his career in France and passed away in 2016 at the age of 94. His works continue to hold high value in art circles worldwide.
Feature Image: Prakriti by SH Raza|2001| mojoart
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