Officials in India continued their investigation into the sale of faked paintings by M. F. Husain, S. H. Raza, and other key Indian artists, releasing a charge sheet in September that accused a poor farmer of posing as a maharaja to bait an investment banker.
According to the Hindustan Times, the plot allegedly also centered around forged works by Manjit Bawa and F. N. Souza. Officials in Mumbai said the 11 pieces were collectively worth around ₹17.9 crore, or about $2 million. The investigation has been ongoing since 2023.
Puneet Bhatia, the banker, claimed that he purchased the paintings in 2022 from Rajesh Rajpal, who runs the Mumbai-based Rare Art Gallery. The money allegedly went to Art India International, which is also reportedly operated by Rajpal.
Mumbai investigators said that Vishwang Desai, a lawyer, had presented himself to Bhatia as a collector and persuaded him to purchase the works. One of the works allegedly came from Subroto Banerjee, a former employee of the Indian Administrative Service, and the rest are thought to have come from Raghavendra Parmar, an impoverished farmer who purported to be a maharaja from Madhya Pradesh.
The charge sheet reportedly alleges that Rajpal was aware of Parmar’s precarious finances and that Rajpal used the farmer’s poverty to his own advantage. The charge sheet also notes that Parmar is unable to read or write.
Banerjee, the former IAS officer, denied selling the work to Bhatia. According to the Hindustan Times, Rajpal denied that Parmar had given him the remaining paintings, though Rajpal said Parmar had previously approached him with works that were not in good condition.
Husain was one of India’s most famous modern artists, and the investigation continues as his market continues to rise. In March, a work by him sold at Christie’s New York for $13.8 million, making it the most expensive modern Indian artwork ever sold. Meanwhile, in November, Qatar will open a museum devoted to him.
