New Delhi, Jan 1 (PTI) Nineteen cases of theft ofantiquities have been reported from the Centrally ProtectedMonuments of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in thepast three years, the government said today.
According to the information uploaded on the Lok Sabhawebsite, the artifacts retrieved were originally fromKarnataka, Gujarat, Bihar, Orissa, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarhand a few other states.
In most cases an FIR was filed, while in some other theartifacts were recovered.
"Whenever any illegally exported objects or antiquitiesof Indian origin surfaces in foreign countries, efforts aremade through the Indian mission abroad for retrieval of suchantiquities," Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma said, accordingto his reply to a question in the Lok Sabha and uploaded onthe website.
Twenty seven antiquities were retrieved from foreigncountries in the past three years. Of them, 18 returned fromthe US during 2016 and 2017, according to the ministry. PTIASGABH.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.