Among the antiquities recovered from abroad during the past ten years, 31 antiquities retrieved from Australia, Singapore, UK and USA belong to Tamil Nadu.

Repatriation of Indian antiquities exported illegally is carried out irrespective of states. Whenever, theft of an antiquity is reported, FIR is lodged in concerned police station and ‘Look Out Notice’ is issued to law enforcement agencies including Custom Exit Channels to keep vigil to trace stolen antiquity and prevent its illegal export. In case, antiquity is traced, case is pursued by concerned law enforcement agency in coordination with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for recovery.

Government is committed to bring back the antiquities of Indian origin which were taken away from India. Whenever any such antiquity of Indian origin surfaces abroad, ASI takes up the matter with the Indian Embassies/Missions abroad through Ministry of External Affairs for their retrieval. ASI has retrieved 357 antiquities from foreign countries from the year 1976 to 2023, of which 344 antiquities have been retrieved since 2014.

This information was given by Union Minister for Culture, Tourism And Development of North Eastern Region Shri G.Kishan Reddy in Lok Sabha today.

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BY/SKT

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