Centre acts after Chandigarh’s appeal, Paris auction of 2 heritage chairs halted
Two heritage armchairs, with the markings ‘PU’ and ‘PGI’, were set to be auctioned on Thursday. The furniture pieces were estimated to fetch lakhs of rupees.
The Chandigarh administration has said that the two furniture pieces bear inventory markings that connect them to Panjab University and PGIMER Chandigarh. In a significant victory for efforts to protect Chandigarh’s legacy, the auction of two heritage items linked to the city in Paris was halted after the matter was escalated through diplomatic channels.
Two furniture pieces linked to Chandigarh’s institutions were set to be auctioned in France on Thursday, with auctioneer François Epin listing them at estimated values of €5,000-€7,000 and €4,000-€5,000, respectively. The sale was stopped after the Chandigarh administration urged the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to step in, following which the Indian Embassy in France took up the issue with the auction house, officials said.
The Chandigarh Police had also registered two FIRs in the matter.
According to the administration, the two pieces bear inventory markings that connect them to public institutions in Chandigarh. One Pierre Jeanneret teak-and-cane armchair carries the marking ‘PU Chem/55’, indicating its association with Panjab University’s Chemistry Department, while another armchair bears the marking ‘PGI/W/CH-0202’, linking it to PGIMER Chandigarh.
In its letter to the MEA, the administration had requested immediate intervention through the Indian Embassy in France and French authorities to suspend the auction and facilitate recovery of the furniture. Officials expressed concern that the appearance of the items in an overseas auction raises questions about possible theft, illegal removal, unauthorised disposal and unlawful export of heritage property.
The administration emphasised that the furniture forms an integral part of Chandigarh’s modernist heritage created under the vision of Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret. As Chandigarh’s Capitol Complex enjoys UNESCO World Heritage status, officials argued that preservation of original furniture associated with the city’s architectural history is a matter of national and international significance.
Advocate Ajay Jagga cites 2011 order
The issue was also highlighted by Chandigarh-based advocate Ajay Jagga, who wrote to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, and the Indian Embassy in Paris seeking intervention before the auction.
Jagga cited a Ministry of Home Affairs order dated February 22, 2011, which prohibits movement of Chandigarh heritage articles outside India and restricts their transfer even between government buildings without authorisation. He also urged Indian diplomatic missions to actively monitor and object to auctions involving Chandigarh heritage objects and seek their repatriation.
An urgent letter at 8 pm
It was late Tuesday evening that Naveen, Director, Cultural Affairs, UT Chandigarh, issued a quick letter with Isha Kamboj, Director, Government Museum and Art Gallery, addressed to the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Chandigarh, seeking the registration of an immediate FIR and initiation of recovery proceedings over suspected illegal removal of heritage furniture of Chandigarh.
In the letter dated June 23, 2026, a copy of which is with The Indian Express, Naveen referred to a communication from the Secretary, Government of India, Ministry of Culture, stating that an office order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on February 22, 2011, had directed prevention of loss of valuable heritage items being auctioned for high prices in international markets.
Highlighting the heritage significance of the items that are to be auctioned, the letter stated that the “furniture represented the modernist heritage value of Chandigarh’s Modern Movement and formed an intrinsic part of the city’s documented and inventoried heritage furniture repository”.
“These heritage articles are integral to the original urban and architectural vision and their removal/stealing abroad is prima facie illegal and criminal in nature. In view of this, it is requested that an FIR be lodged so that a recovery process is initiated so that the heritage of the country is preserved and also further stealing of such antiquities is stopped,” it added.
2 FIRs registered
The Chandigarh Police has registered two FIRs on June 23 under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and launched investigations into the suspected theft, illegal removal, export, sale and trafficking of the furniture.
The administration has sought immediate suspension of the auction, preservation of the furniture pending investigation, verification of ownership and provenance records, assistance in recovery and repatriation of the items, and measures to prevent any further sale of Chandigarh heritage assets through unauthorized channels.
Officials said all inventories, archival records and technical documentation required to establish ownership would be made available to support efforts aimed at bringing the heritage pieces back to India.
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