The cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu has personally handed over the letter to the Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh demanding CBI inquiry into the antique smuggling. Sidhu highlighted an alleged transaction of former director, tourism, cultural affairs, museum and archives Navjot Pal Singh Randhawa with a businessman accused of smuggling antique items.

He mentioned in the letter that the smuggling of antiques from the state was a serious matter. The government should get it probed by the CBI.

DRI INVESTIGATING THE MATTER 

Sidhu highlighted the matter when the Mumbai Zonal Unit of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence wrote to the Chief Secretary on August 23, 2017 to initiate suitable action against the Punjab Civil Services official under the service conduct rules. According to a show-cause notice issued by DRI on August 4, Navjot Pal Singh Randhawa who was holding the charge of Director, Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Archaeology, Museums and Archives of Punjab as well until May this year before being transferred to the Defence Services Welfare department as Deputy Secretary, admitted in his statement to the agency that he “assisted” US-based Indian-origin businessman Vijay Nanda, accused of antique smuggling, “in procuring a few antiquities”.

DEPARTMENT DIDN’T MAINTAIN INVENTORY OF ANTIQUES

The minister mentioned in the letter that the concerned department under the headship of Randhawa didn’t maintain inventory. It was a deliberate plan to smuggle the antiques out of the country so that nobody could get the complete information of list of the antique items.

COST OF THE ANTIQUE ITEMS IN INTERNATIONAL MARKET

The antique items fetch huge money during the auctions at international market. People abroad are crazy to buy antiques at any cost. An old coin of the kingdom of Maharaja Ranjit Singh can fetch around $1000. Antique items stolen from Punjab were sold in European countries and US.

ANTIQUE SMUGGLING MAFIA BEHIND THE MISSING HERITAGE FURNITURE

The news of missing furniture of Chandigarh heritage designed by Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier and his associate Pierre Jeanneret  hit the headlines since 2007. The furniture was sold for lakhs at the auction houses in Europe and US.

AJAY JAGGA, THE WHISTLE BLOWER