The Hindu : New Delhi News : Govt. directed to hand over mural to Sehgal

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Aug 17, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

Govt. directed to hand over mural to Sehgal

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday directed the Union Government to hand over a bronze mural, which once decorated the Vigyan Bhavan and is at present lying in the storeroom of the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) here, to its creator, prominent sculptor Amar Nath Sehgal.

Observing that the precious mural was lying in the CPWD's storage and that no one knew its true value, a Division Bench comprising Justice Vijender Jain and Justice Rekha Sharma asked the Centre to hand over the mural to Sehgal within three weeks.

The Bench issued the direction on an appeal by the Centre challenging a Single-Judge Bench of the Court in February this year. The Bench had directed the Centre to pay a compensation of Rs.5 lakhs to Sehgal for harming his reputation by removing his bronze mural from the lobby of Vigyan Bhavan without seeking prior permission in 1979.

Since the appeal was filed after passage of the time period fixed for it, the Bench also issued a notice to Sehgal seeking his reply next month on a plea for condonation of the delay by the Government.

The Single-Judge Bench of Justice Pradeep Nandrajog had passed the order on a petition by the sculptor. In the petition, Sehgal had alleged that the Government had violated his copyright in the 140x40 bronze mural by removing it from Vigyan Bhavan's lobby and putting it in its storehouse.

Conceding his plea, Mr. Justice Nandrajog had said that henceforth the right in the mural vested with the sculptor and he was at liberty to recreate it at whatever places he desired.

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