Overview

• India’s Ministry of Culture has formally demanded that Sotheby’s Hong Kong halt the May 7 auction of nearly 1,800 jewels linked to the Buddha and return them to India.
• The relics, excavated in 1898 from a stupa in Piprahwa, Uttar Pradesh, are classified as 'AA' antiquities under Indian law, prohibiting their sale or removal.
• The Archaeological Survey of India has engaged the Hong Kong consulate to press for the auction’s cancellation, citing the relics’ cultural and spiritual significance.
• India’s Financial Investigation Unit is working with its Hong Kong counterpart to ensure compliance with international cultural property laws.
• Sotheby’s Associate General Counsel Ivy Wong has acknowledged India’s legal notice, assuring that the matter will receive full attention ahead of the scheduled auction.