Crime Branch ordered to reinvestigate theft of Sheetal Mafatlal's 'stolen' paintings

Updated On: 26 October, 2013 05:03 AM IST | | Vinay Dalvi

For two years, police at Gamdevi and VP Road rummaged around for the paintings Sheetal Mafatlal had claimed stolen; now that they have seen through the case they termed false, Home Minister RR Patil has put Crime Branch on the job

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Crime Branch ordered to reinvestigate theft of Sheetal Mafatlal's 'stolen' paintings

The art rip-off an overworked, understaffed Mumbai police spent two years investigating, and finally declared bogus, will now get more attention and time from city’s specialised sleuths. Such is the pull of power and riches. After VP Road police filed a B-summary report terming socialite Sheetal Mafatlal’s complaint that 31 paintings -- including works by M F Husain, Francis Newton Souza and Syed Haider Raza -- had been stolen, court issued her a notice a fortnight ago. But the home ministry has reckoned the case fit for reinvestigations by nothing less than the Crime Branch.u00a0

Artful: Mafatlal had complained that 31 paintings were replaced with fakes while in safekeeping in a mall and two apartments in Bandra and Khar