Lok Sabha Question No. 2589 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-17
Subject: Repatriation of Artefacts through Cultural Property Agreement
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: Dr. K Sudhakar, Dr. Hemant Vishnu Savara, Shri P P Chaudhary, Smt. Roopkumari Choudhary, Smt. Aparajita Sarangi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-† 2589

ANSWERED ON- 17/03/2025

## REPATRIATION OF ARTEFACTS THROUGH CULTURAL PROPERTY AGREEMENT

## † 2589. SMT. ROOPKUMARI CHOUDHARY:

SHRI P P CHAUDHARY:

SMT. APARAJITA SARANGI:

DR. K SUDHAKAR:

DR. HEMANT VISHNU SAVARA:

Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:-

- (a)  the number of looted or stolen artefacts which have been repatriated during the last decade from various countries;
- (b)    whether  any  agreements  is  being  planned  for  repatriation  of  more  Indian  artecrafts    from foreign countries, private collectors and others, if so, the details thereof;
- (c)  the number of looted or stolen artefacts that are expected to be repatriated under the Cultural Property  Agreement  to  prevent  illicit  Trade  of  Antiquities  agreement  between  India  &  USA during the last decade from various countries;
- (d) the details of the time-line for bringing them back;
- (e) whether the Government plans to collaborate with international organisations or other nations to further strengthen its efforts in recovering stolen antiquities, if so, the details thereof;
- (f)  whether  the  agreement  includes  provision  for  enhancing  bilateral  cooperation  in  heritage conservation, museum exchanges, or technical training in cultural preservation, if so, the details thereof;
- (g) the details of the major cultural or religious places of Chhattisgarh where from artefacts have been stolen so far;
- (h) whether efforts have been made to recover these artefacts, if so, the details thereof;
- (i)  whether  the  State  Government  of  Chhattisgarh  has  taken  any  specific  step  to  secure  the cultural heritage and check the incidents of theft and if so, the details of the steps taken in this regard; and
- (j) whether the Government is considering opening up of more Archaeological and religious sites for workshop, if so, the details thereof, if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF CULTURE AND TOURISM (SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)

(a) Total 642 antiquities have been retrieved from various countries during the last decade.

(b to (d) No such agreement is under consideration; however, a Cultural Property Agreement (CPA) has been signed with the United States of America (USA) to prevent smuggling of Indian  antiquities.  Agreement,  being  preventive  in  nature,  no  such  numbers  has  been targeted.

(e)  India  collaborates  with  different  International  organisations  including  UNESCO  and INTERPOL as per requirement.

(f) The CPA has provision for fostering cooperation and mutual understanding in the matters of technical assistant, illicit trade and pillage of Cultural property.

(g) Total 27 antiquities have been stolen from Chhattisgarh as detailed in 'Annexure A'.

(h & i) Archaeological Survey of India is committed for protection of monuments, sites   and antiquities  under  its  jurisdiction.  Besides  regular  watch  and  ward  staff  of  Archaeological Survey  of  India,  Private  Security  Guards  and  Central  Industrial  Security  Force  have  been deployed as per requirement. Whenever any theft of antiquity is reported, FIR is lodged in concerned  police  station  and  'Look  Out  Notice'  is  issued  to  law  enforcement  agencies including Custom Exit Channels to keep vigil to trace stolen antiquity and prevent its illegal export.

(j) No such proposal is under consideration.

*****

## Annexure A

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART- (g) LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2589 for 17.03.2025

## Details of stolen antiquities from Centrally Protected Monuments under the jurisdiction of ASI, Raipur circle.

|   Sl. No. | Particulars                                                                                                                  | Date of theft                            | Case detail/FIR                              | Remark                                                                                    |
|-----------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|         1 | One seated stone image of a Naga deity which was locally known as Laxman Murty from Laxman temple, Sirpur, Distt. Mahasamund | 13/10/2005                               | F.I.R.Lodged. F.I.R. No.249/05.dt 14/10/2005 | Stolen sculpture was recovered by the C.G. Police within a week and handed over to A.S.I. |
|         2 | Seated stone image of Hariti from the excavated site known as Padmapani Monastery,Sirpur, Distt. Mahasamund                  | 22-23/6/2005                             | F.I.R.Lodged. F.I.R. No.155/05.dt 23/6/2005  | Stolen sculpture was recovered by the C.G. Police within a week and handed over to A.S.I. |
|         3 | One Shiva (Natraj) Dancing pose ,and One Seated Brahma, Mahadev temple Pali, Distt. Korba                                    | 31/08/2012& 01/09/2012 Intervening Night | FIR Lodged FIR No. 188/12 Dt. 01/09/2012     | Not recovered                                                                             |
|         4 | Merchant Image Excavated Tivardev Monastery, Sirpur Distt. Mahasamund.                                                       | 17/03/2013                               | FIR Lodged FIR No. 336 Dt . 18/03/2013       | Not recovered                                                                             |
|         5 | One Bhairav image, Bhairavbaba temple, Dantewada& One Bhairav image, ruined temple, Jiyapara, Dantewada, Distt.              | 06/07/2016 &07/07/2016 Intervening Night | FIR Lodged FIR No. 63/16 Dt . 07/07/2016     | Not recovered                                                                             |

| Dantewada   |
|-------------|

## Details of stolen antiquities as provided by the Department of Archaeology, Archives and Museum, Raipur, Chhattisgarh

|   Sl. No. | Particulars                                                                                                         | Date of theft   | Case detail/FIR                                  | Remark                 |
|-----------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------|--------------------------------------------------|------------------------|
|         1 | Images of Vaishnavi, Ardhanarishvar & Four- armed Shiv, Dipadih (Shankargarh) District Sarguja State Protected site | 08-09/01/2003   | 08-09/1/2003/Pra.Kra.3/03 Dated 9/1/2003         | Not Recovered          |
|         2 | Garudasina Vishnu (Registered), Sirpur (Tumgaon) District Mahasamund Unprotected site                               | 08-09/06/2001   | 08 09/6/2001/Pra.Kra.74/2001 Dated 09/06/2001    | Not Recovered          |
|         3 | Parvati, Dulhara (Ratanpur) District Bilaspur Unprotected site                                                      | 14-15/01/2003   | 14-15/1/2003/Pra.Kra.14/03 Dated 15/01/2003      | Recovered (21/11/2005) |
|         4 | Garuda (Bhanvar Ganesh), Pali (Masturi) District Bilaspur Unprotected site                                          | 26-27/01/2004   | 26- 27/01/2004/Pra.Kra.30/04 Dated 27/01/2004    | Recovered (14/02/2003) |
|         5 | Garuda(Bhanvar Ganesh), Pali (Masturi) District Bilaspur Unprotected site                                           | 20-21/04/2006   | 20- 21/04/2006/Pra.Kra.123/06 Dated 21/04/2006   | Recovered (12/03/2007) |
|         6 | Brahma, Kirarigodhi (Bilha) District Bilaspur Unprotected site                                                      | 17/07/2005      | 17/7/2005/Pra.Kra.56/2005 Dated 17/07/2005       | -                      |
|         7 | Vishnu, Kirarigodhi (Bilha) District Bilaspur Unprotected site                                                      | 09-10/11/2006   | 09-10/11/Pra.Kra.157/2006 Dated 10/11/2006       | Not Recovered          |
|         8 | Surya(Moti Barahiya),Kalcha (Udaypur) District Sarguja                                                              | 24-25/03/2007   | 24- 25/3/2007/Pra.Kra.20/2007 Dated - 25/03/2007 | Not Recovered          |

|    | State Protected site                                                                  |               |                                                 |                                            |
|----|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------|-------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|
|  9 | Mavali Mata (Rajapurusha), Rampur (Balodabazar) District Balodabazar Unprotected site | -             | Pra.Kra.29/04                                   | Recovered (16/02/2004)                     |
| 10 | Chandi (Jain Tirthankar), Chouha (Masturi) District Bilaspur Unprotected site         | 27-28/06/2010 | 27-28/6/2010                                    | _                                          |
| 11 | Chouha (Masturi) District Bilaspur Unprotected site                                   | -             | 218/1996                                        | _                                          |
| 12 | Mahaveer Swami Ganesh, Baghnadi District Rajnandgaon Unprotected site                 | 16/07/2005    | Pra.Kra.69/05 Dated 16/07/2005                  | Recovered (16/07/2005)                     |
| 13 | Garuda (Siva Statue), Garhsivani (Tumgaon) District Mahasamund Unprotected site       | 20-21/12/2006 | 20- 21/12/2006/Pra.Kra.306/06 Dated 21/01/.2006 | Not Recovered                              |
| 14 | Shivalinga , Maheshpur (Udaypur) District Sarguja Excavated site                      | 20/08/2009    | 20/8/2009/Pra.Kra.108/2009 Dated 20/08/2009     | Recovered                                  |
| 15 | Harihar, Maheshpur (Udaypur) District Sarguja Excavated site                          | 21-22/03/2011 | 21- 22/3/2011/Pra.Kra.35/2011 Dated 25/03/2011  | Not Recovered Case eliminated (26.05.2011) |
| 16 | Uma-Maheshvar (03 Nos.) ,Maheshpur (Udaypur) District Sarguja Excavated site          | 08-09/02/2013 | 08- 09/2/2013/Pra.Kra.27/2013 Dated 09/02/2013  | Not Recovered                              |