R.S. Atal v. National Museum & ANR

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* IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI + % Date of Decision: 25th September, 2019 R.S. ATAL ..... Petitioner Through:

None.

Versus

NATIONAL MUSEUM & ANR ..... Respondents Through:

Mr. Anurag Ahluwalia, CGSC with Mr.Kartikey Rastogi, Adv.

CORAM:

HON'BLE THE CHIEF JUSTICE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE C.HARI SHANKAR

J U D G M E N T

:

D. N. PATEL, Chief Justice (Oral) 1.

When the matter was called out, nobody appeared for the petitioner. 2.

We have heard the learned counsel appearing for respondents No.1 and 2 at length and he has submitted that this writ petition has been preferred as Public Interest Litigation for the following prayers:- "a) issue any appropriate writ, order or direction commanding the Respondents to submit before this Hon'ble Court entire follow up action taken by them as suggested and recommended by the Expert Committee in their report (Annexure P-1); and/or b) issue any appropriate writ, order or direction commanding the Respondents to submit before this Hon'ble Court entire follow up action taken by them on the Audit Inspection Report dated 23.09.2011 for the year 2010-11 (Annexure P-8); and /or

c) issue any appropriate writ, order or direction instituting inquiry & investigation into the loss of valuable manuscripts including replacement of precious arte-facts including purchase of fake objects including purchase of fake 'Axe of Nadir Shah' " 3.

Learned counsel appearing for respondents No.1 and 2 has submitted that several affidavits and status reports have been filed and the recent status report and affidavit filed are dated 23rd September, 2019. Copies thereof have also been supplied to the counsel for the petitioner. 4.

Learned counsel for respondents No.1 and 2 has taken this Court to various annexures of the affidavit dated 23rd September, 2019 in which it has been pointed out that there are a total number of 2,06,169 antiquities with the respondents, out of which data of 69,722 antiquities is made available on the website of respondent No.1. Likewise, it further appears that the total number of records entered in Jatan (As per Classified Accession Register - CAR) is 1,69,012. These details have been mentioned at Annexure SR-I to the counter affidavit dated 23rd September, 2019 filed by respondents No.1 and 2.

5.

Moreover, it further appears from the counter affidavit filed by respondents No.1 and 2, especially looking to Annexure SR-II, that the Action Taken Report submitted (in detail), action taken submitted for each and every recommendation made by the expert committee which was constituted by this Court in another writ petition. The said committee gave several recommendations. For every recommendation, the action taken has been submitted in a tabular format by respondents No.1 and 2 in this writ petition, which is at Annexure SR-II. We have perused the said Action Taken Report in a tabular format, and actions have been initiated, as stated

by respondents No.1 and 2 in detail.

6.

Thus, we see no reason to further monitor this case. Nonetheless, liberty is reserved with the petitioner to move this Court in case of any difficulty, by way of separate and fresh litigation. 7.

This writ petition is accordingly disposed of. CHIEF JUSTICE C.HARI SHANKAR, J SEPTEMBER 25, 2019 'anb'