The Hindu : New Delhi News : One arrested for selling fake paintings

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jul 23, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

One arrested for selling fake paintings

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, JULY 22. An assistant of the noted painter, Anjolie Ela Menon, who allegedly made copies of her three original creations and sold them to art lovers has been arrested by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Crime Branch. A photo-framer has also been arrested in this connection.

According to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (EOW), Dinesh Bhatt, Menon lodged a complaint with Nizamuddin police station on May 13 this year alleging that fakes of her paintings were being sold in the market. As it was a matter of copyright violation, the EOW was handed over the investigations. The police found that at least three such paintings titled `Blue Lady', `Brahmin Boy' and `Oval Lady' had been sold to Gallery 7 in Mumbai.

Trailing the chain through which the paintings had been sold, the police questioned the Gallery 7 staff and found out that fakes of two of the paintings -- `Blue Lady' and `Brahmin Boy' had been sold to the Gallery 7 by a photo-framer named Suraj Sharma, who has a shop at Lajpat Nagar in South Delhi. Suraj had charged Rs. 2 lakhs for each painting. The gallery officials said `Blue Lady' was further sold for Rs. 2.5 lakhs. Enquires revealed that painting passed through five other art dealers and was sold for Rs. 4.5 lakhs.

Working on the case led the police to zero in on Menon's assistant, Hameed Safi, who had been working for her for the past 20 years. When questioned, Hameed broke down and confessed to having faked the paintings to earn some money as he hardly made enough money from his job.

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