I was cheated: fake art dealer

I have been cheated," claims Shamsunder Desai, who has been arrested for trying to sell a fake painting of renowned artist Subodh Gupta. The owner of Sahiil Art Gallery, Colaba, told DCP Vishwas Nagre Patil that Delhi-based art dealer Raju Tiwari wanted him to sell the painting from his art gallery. "I paid Rs 4 lakh as advance for this painting of Subodh Gupta to Raju Tiwari," said Desai.

"I am not acquainted with the works of Subodh Gupta and so I was not able to make out that this was a fake," he added.

'80 lakh mein bik gaya

'The police made Desai speak to Tiwari on the phone the day he was arrested, to verify his claims. Here are the excerpts of the conversation.

Desai: Bhejo kisiko
Tiwari: Koi kharida hai kya usko?
Desai: Haan haan, 80 lakh mein bik gaya, aap paise lene aajao
Tiwari: Paise rakho aap ke paas
Desai: Nahin, itne paise kahan rakhun apne paas, maine socha aap le ke jao
Tiwari: Main kisi kaam ke chakkar mein pada hoon, aisa karo aap hi aajao
Desai: Main kidhar leke aaoon paise?
Tiwari: Main abhi idhar nahin hoon. Do char din rakho na paise aap ke paas
Desai: Itna paise ghar mein nahin rakh sakta main, aap aajao

'Tiwari showed me the certificate, morphed pic'

"To assure me, Tiwari also produced the authentication certificate and photograph of Subodh Gupta next to the painting, which led me to believe the painting was an original," Desai told the police.

Desai said that in March this year, Tiwari visited his art gallery for the first time on the pretext of selling some of his collection.

Tiwari had then informed Desai that since he was working with many reputed art galleries in Delhi, he had some good contacts with artists.

Three months later, Tiwari called up Desai and informed him about a Subodh Gupta painting, which Tiwari said he was getting from somebody in Patna. Tiwari also agreed to pay 33 per cent commission on the sale price to Desai.

Desai said that he collected the painting from Tiwari at an art exhibition in Kolkata in July. To prove it was an original, Tiwari also allegedly gave Desai an authentication certificate and produced a photograph of Subodh Gupta next to the painting. Desai claims he paid Tiwari Rs 4 lakh as advance.

On returning to Mumbai, Desai checked online for the pricing of Subodh Gupta's artwork and decided to quote a price of Rs 80 lakh for the paiting.

Narco test

Nagre Patil told MiD DAY that Desai was not co-operating with the police and was concealing information and hence a narco test will be done on him shortly.

Source; http://www.mid-day.com/news/2008/sep/030908-shamsunder-desai-cheated-fake-art-dealer-subodh-gupta-paintings-scams.htm