Bombay HC restricts Customs Dept. from destroying artworks by famous artists F. N. Souza and Akbar Padamsee
The Bombay High Court has issued a restraining order preventing the Customs department from destroying artworks by F. N. Souza and Akbar Padamsee. These artworks were seized in 2023 due to allegations of obscenity. The court's decision comes as part of a legal challenge against the Customs department's actions regarding the confiscation of the artworks.
- ▪The Bombay High Court has passed a restraining order on the Customs department.
- ▪The artworks were seized in 2023 over allegations of obscenity.
- ▪The petition challenges the legality of the Customs department's confiscation order.
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| Publication time | Wed, 27 May 2026 12:21:21 +0530 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-27T06:57:56.817Z |
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The Bombay High Court has passed a restraining order on the Customs department preventing it from destroying several artworks by noted artists F. N. Souza and Akbar Padamsee. The artworks were seized in 2023 over allegations of obscenity. On October 21, 2024, a Division Bench of judges comprising Justices M. S. Sonak and Jitendra Jain made an interim decision while reserving its final judgement on a petition filed by B.K. Polimex India Pvt Ltd., a company owned by Mumbai-based businessman and art collector Mustafa Karachiwala. The order was made available on Thursday (October 24, 2024). The petition challenges the legality of the July 1, 2024, order by the Customs department that confiscated the artworks, labelling them under the category of ‘obscene material’.
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