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Ohio Toledo Museum of Art to Return Hindu God Ganesha murti (Idol - Sculpture) to India

Toledo Museum of Art in Ohio will return a 1000-year-old murti (Idol or Sculpture) of Hindu God Ganesha to India. The murti was stolen from Tamil Nadu in India by Subhash Kapoor, who is currently awaiting trial in India on charges of illegal exportation, criminal conspiracy and forgery. 
Artfixdaily reports

Research conducted by the Museum, with the assistance and cooperation of the Indian Consulate General,Dnyaneshwar M. Mulay, and the Ambassador of India, Dr. S. Jaishankar, and their respective representatives, led Museum Director Brian Kennedy to recommend the return to the Museum’s Art Committee. That committee voted on Aug. 21 to deaccession the Ganesha from the collection and facilitate its return. 
 “Although there is an ongoing investigation of Mr. Kapoor’s alleged illegal activities being conducted , in the case of the Ganesha the evidence provided by Indian authorities was convincing. We believe this sculpture was stolen from a temple in Tamil Nadu province sometime before 2006,” said Dr. Kennedy. “As was true with other items the Museum has returned in recent years, it is part of our collections policy to deaccession and return any object for which we cannot provide clear title. We could wait for our own government’s investigation to run its course, but we believe the Indian people deserve to have this remarkable example of their cultural heritage returned now.”