Several sandstone, bronze statues have been recovered from the owner of the Art of the Past Gallery which allegedly belong to an Indian art dealer by the US authorities.

Subhash Kapoor the owner of the gallery was also issued an arrest warrant by the US authorities, Manhattan District attoeney's Office for the alleged possession of stolen property, according to the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement's ICE.

There were three bronze statues that belong to the Chola period depicting Uma Parvati, Sivagami Amman; and Murugan according to the Homeland Security Investivagation. It has been speculated that these could have been lifted off the temples of Tamil Nadu directly.

Another sandstone statue of Kubera, chief of Yaksha from the Indian Gupta Period, a grey schist statue depicting Herkules-Vajrapani from the Kandahran Kushan period; and a sculpture depicting Shakyamuni Buddham from the Indian Chola period were also seized.

A few among these were also exhibited in international museums. These pricesless artefacts are worth millions in the business of antequities.

Earlier too Kapoor had been involved in the smuggling business as he smuggled a 5 foot head of Buddha which weighs 1600 pounds and a lifesize figure which weighed around 500 pounds. Both of them were seized from a space leased by Kapoor in New York.

Kapoor was arrested in the end of 2011 after he was on the Interpol Red Notice at the Frankfurt International Airport. Kapoor was extradited to India, on 14th July 2012, where he faced criminal charges.

(AW- Anil)