Delhi Court indicts Assam Congress in-charge Jitendra Singh over missing MF Husain artwork
Guwahati: A Delhi court has ordered criminal proceedings against Bhanwar Jitendra Singh, Congress leader and in charge of Assam affairs, in connection with an alleged criminal breach of trust involving a missing MF Husain painting valued at over Rs 1 crore.
The court’s decision follows a complaint filed by Rohit Singh Mahiyaria, who accused Singh of failing to return the painting that his mother, former parliamentarian Dr. Prabha Thakur, had lent to him in April 2014.
According to Mahiyaria, Singh had borrowed the artwork, created by renowned painter Maqbool Fida Husain, on the assurance that he would show it to his wife, an admirer of Husain’s works, before deciding on a potential purchase.
Dr. Thakur had earlier bought the painting from Mumbai’s Sachi Gallery for more than Rs 22 lakh.
Despite multiple reminders, the family alleged that Singh neither returned the painting nor provided a clear explanation.
Initially, he is said to have promised to return the artwork, but later claimed it had gone missing. After repeated follow-ups failed, the family sent a legal notice in 2017, which went unanswered.
Special Judge Jitendra Singh, while initiating prosecution, observed that the accused’s actions, giving false assurances and failing to return an entrusted item, fit the definition of criminal breach of trust under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The court observed that Jitendra Singh violated trust by failing to return the MF Husain painting handed over for a specific purpose.
Earlier this year, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Paras Dalal had dismissed Mahiyaria’s complaint, terming it a civil dispute.
However, the special court overturned that ruling, stating that the lower court had misinterpreted both law and facts.
When approached for comment, Jitendra Singh, who served as Minister of State for Home Affairs and Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports (Independent Charge) during the UPA regime, remained unavailable. Repeated attempts by media outlets to contact him did not receive a response.