File picture of a Bowrings auction

New Delhi, Sept. 15: The Supreme Court has stayed all proceedings against auction house Bowrings, accused of shipping two paintings out of India in violation of the antiquities act.

The CBI had filed a case against Bowrings Fine Art Auctioneers three years ago after it seized the paintings — Reconciliation by Frederico Andreotti and The Kill by George Derville Rowlandson — while they were being allegedly moved out of the country.

The auction house said it did not own the paintings but had merely catalogued and auctioned them on behalf of the owners.

It claimed it has always sent auction catalogues in advance to the Archaeological Survey of India for objections against sales if any.

In this case, it said, the ASI did not object to the auction of these paintings. However, the paintings were intercepted while they were being shipped out to the buyer, M/s Tony Haynes of the UK.

The CBI later filed a criminal case against the auction house under the Antiquities and Art Treasure Act, 1972, after the ASI said they appeared to be over 100 years old.

A case was also filed under the customs act.

Since then, a high-level committee, asked to look into how old the paintings were, has not been able to say unanimously that they were over 100 years old.

Bowrings then moved the high court saying that since there was no ASI report that the paintings dated back to over 100 years, the FIR against it should be quashed. The high court, however, rejected the plea.

The auction house then moved the Supreme Court. Yesterday, the apex court ruled that “during pendency of these appeals, further proceedings shall remain stayed”.

The auction house, set up in 2001, has since wounded up operations in the country but maintains offices in Delhi, Calcutta, Mumbai and Bangalore.

Before closing down, Bowrings held about eight auctions. Among the items that went under the hammer were modern paintings, carpets, furniture, jewellery and film memorabilia.