Mumbai News: 54-Year-Old Businessman Files FIR Against Bengaluru-Based Art Dealer For Selling Forged Paintings Worth ₹45 Lakh

Mumbai: A prominent businessman has filed a police complaint against Bengaluru-based art dealership Tangerine Art Space and its representative Leena Chetan for allegedly selling forged artworks under the guise of originals, leading to a financial loss of Rs 45.36 lakh and reputational damage.

Businessman Bijay Jasjit Anand (54), a resident of Worli and director of Kyozon Arts Pvt. Ltd., along with his wife Sonali Anand, alleged that the company was duped in 2021 into buying two fake paintings claimed to be originals — one by renowned artist Jogen Chowdhury and the other by late legendary painter K.G. Subramanyan.

According to the complaint filed at Bandra Police Station, Anand stated that their firm purchased these paintings through Tangerine Art Space in January and February 2021. The purchases were backed by authentication certificates signed by Leena Chetan.

Details of paintings : A painting by Jogen Chowdhury (Ink and Pastel, 33cm x 33cm, dated 2003) was purchased for ₹5.04 lakh on January 30, 2021. Invoice No. TAS/20-21/010/A was issued and A painting by K.G. Subramanyan (30cm x 58cm, dated 1992) was bought for ₹40.32 lakh on February 19, 2021. Invoice No. TAS/20-21/015/A was issued.

Later, Kyozon Arts sold both paintings to Diona Art, a Pune-based art dealership, for a combined value of approximately Rs.67 lakh.

However, in August 2023, Diona Art informed Anand that the painting attributed to K.G. Subramanyan was a forgery. In March 2024, they also reported that the Jogen Chowdhury painting was fake, and that both authentication certificates were forged.

To verify, Anand contacted artist Jogen Chowdhury, who confirmed via a certificate dated June 4, 2024, that the painting in question was not created by him and was a forgery. He also sent a copy of the original work for comparison.

Further investigation revealed that the Subramanyan painting appeared to be a collage of elements from various works by the artist and was not an original. As a result, Kyozon Arts returned the money received from Diona Art and recovered the forged artworks.

Anand alleged that when confronted, Leena Chetan of Tangerine Art Space refused to cooperate and evaded accountability. The complaint claims that the art dealer knowingly sold counterfeit artworks disguised as originals to make financial gains, causing both monetary loss and reputational damage to Kyozon Arts.

Leena Chetan speak with FPJ that, Complainant already verified and purchased the paintings, they are claiming that paintings are fake. I will go to the court and i can also file complaint against them.

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Based on the evidence, including invoices, authenticity certificates, and the statement from Jogen Chowdhury, Bandra Police have registered a case against Leena Chetan of Tangerine Art Space for cheating and forgery. The investigation is ongoing.

Leena Chetan shared her side of the story with the Free Press Journal. In a detailed response to the FIR registered against her at the Bandra police station, she stated:

1. In the art business, works are sold in good faith based on the belief of their genuineness, to the best of our knowledge. If the complainants dispute the authenticity of the two paintings sold to them, it is for them to prove their claims in court. I find attempts to involve the press in this matter to be inappropriate and note that I reserve the right to take action for defamation if necessary.

2. I have WhatsApp records of the transaction and legitimate, tax paid, purchase invoices for the artworks in question. Bijay Anand was aware of these details and had even attempted to meet, influence & threaten the sellers from whom I purchased the artworks. Therefore, there's no way he can claim I or someone I know have forged these works.

3. Furthermore, Bijay Anand and his wife contacted me suggesting that if I paid them a certain amount of money, they would deal directly with the sellers and not pursue harassment against me. Despite having paid & settled the amount in full, which I have proof of, they have continued to send summons through messages, emails, and phone calls from the Bandra Police Station over several months. I flew to Mumbai to meet with police officers in a date & time scheduled by them but the officer did not appear, citing he was away. This indicates the flimsy grounds on which this case is based, with attempts to harass me. The legal system treats all parties equally, relying on evidence in court proceedings, unaffected by individual backgrounds.