Court initiates criminal proceedings against Assam Congress in-charge Jitendra Singh over MF Husain painting custody

A Delhi court has initiated criminal proceedings against Assam Congress in charge and former Minister of State for Home Affairs Bhanwar Jitendra Singh in connection with an alleged criminal breach of trust over a missing MF Husain painting valued at over Rs 1 crore.

 

The order came following a complaint lodged by Rohit Singh Mahiyaria, who accused Singh of failing to return the artwork that was lent to him in April 2014 by his mother, Dr Prabha Thakur, a former parliamentarian.

 

According to the complaint, Singh had approached Dr Thakur seeking to borrow the painting, created by celebrated artist Maqbool Fida Husain, under the pretext of showing it to his wife, who is said to be an admirer of Husain’s work, before deciding whether to purchase it. Dr Thakur, who had originally purchased the painting from Mumbai’s Sachi Gallery for over Rs 22 lakh, agreed to lend it on that understanding.

 

However, despite repeated requests, the artwork was allegedly never returned. The complaint stated that Singh initially assured the family he would return the painting, but later claimed he could not locate it. In 2017, after all efforts failed, Mahiyaria and his mother served a legal notice, which Singh allegedly ignored.

 

Special Judge Jitendra Singh, while initiating prosecution, observed that the accused’s conduct,  including offering false assurances and refusing to return the painting, constituted the ingredients of criminal breach of trust under the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The court further noted that the painting had been entrusted solely for a limited purpose and Singh’s actions violated that trust.

 

Earlier, on March 21, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Paras Dalal had dismissed Mahiyaria’s plea to register a complaint against Singh under IPC sections relating to criminal breach of trust and cheating, reasoning that the issue appeared civil in nature. However, the special court has now held that the magistrate erred in law and facts in reaching that conclusion.

 

India Today NE tried to reach out to Jitendra Singh, but the Congress leader and Assam Congress in charge, remained unavailable for comment.

 

Singh, who served as Minister of State for Home Affairs and held the independent charge of Youth Affairs and Sports during the UPA government, has not responded to media queries. Attempts by India Today to reach him for comment remained unanswered.


Meanwhile, a crucial meeting of opposition parties was held on Wednesday, November 12 at the Assam Legislative Assembly convened by the Congress to strengthen opposition unity ahead of the upcoming elections.

The meeting was attended by several key parties, including the Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP), CPI, CPI(M), and CPI(ML), alongside senior Congress leaders Gaurav Gogoi, Assam Congress in-charge Jitendra Singh, Rakibul Hussain, and Member of Parliament Pradyut Bordoloi. CPI(ML) leaders Vivek Das and Kanak Gogoi, as well as CPI(M) MLAs Manoranjan Talukdar and Sushanta Talukdar, were also present. Rajya Sabha MP Ajit Kumar Bhuyan attended the session as well.

AJP president Lurinjyoti Gogoi described the meeting as a “positive beginning,” saying that “the people of Assam want to see the opposition united. This meeting will send a strong message across the state.”

He further emphasized that unity among opposition parties is essential to end the “syndicate and corruption culture” prevalent under the current regime. “Time has come for opposition forces to come together. Only through unity can we bring an end to corruption and misuse of power,” he said.