Delhi Court reserves decision on FIR against Delhi Art Gallery over controversial Husain paintings

New Delhi [India], January 22 (ANI): A Delhi court has reserved its decision on whether an FIR should be registered against the Delhi Art Gallery (DAG) and its Owner and director over the display of controversial paintings by renowned artist MF Husain.
The complaint stated that artwork, which depicted Hindu deities Hanuman and Ganesha holding nude female figures, sparked outrage after a formal complaint was filed by advocate Amita Sachdeva, who deemed the paintings "offensive."
The controversy began when Complainant Amita Sachdeva, a practising Advocate visited the DAG in Connaught Place on December 4, 2024, and took photographs of the disputed pieces.
Following this, she filed a complaint with the Parliament Street Police Station on December 9, 2024, after researching past FIRs lodged against Husain for similar works. However, during a subsequent visit on December 10, 2024, with the investigating officer, the paintings were mysteriously removed and gallery officials claimed that they had never been on display.
In response to Sachdeva's petition, Judicial Magistrate (First Class) Sahil Monga reviewed the Action Taken Report (ATR) from the police, which included CCTV footage and a list of artworks provided by the gallery.
The court noted that the report confirmed that the disputed paintings were listed under Serial Nos. 6 and 10 in the gallery's inventory.
Judge Monga then issued an order for the paintings to be seized, directing the investigating officer to file a report on the seizure by January 22, 2025. (ANI)