PANAJI: Antique statues and rare paintings, housed in churches and chapels in Goa, are under threat from an organised racket to plunder the Union Territory's rich heritage.
On November 1, burglars made an abortive attempt to steal a statue of the Infant Jesus concealed in a bullet-proof vault at the Colva church in South Goa. The total value of the statue, the gold, and the jewellery, including a 16th-century diamond ring, is valued at Rs 1 crore.
Thieves broke the lock on the door leading to the pulpit, but could not get their hands on the statue, and instead had to settle for the cash in the donation box. The botched robbery attempt was discovered by the 4,000 parishioners who came the next morning for Mass on All Souls' Day.
But St Anne's Chapel, at Marra, Pilerne, in North Goa, was not so lucky. A 200-year-old ivory statue was among the nine statues and artefacts, estimated to be worth Rs 15 lakh, that were robbed. The 65-cm-tall statue was valued at Rs 8 lakh.
Barely days after the Pilerne theft, burglars struck again and stole seven statues worth Rs 80,000 from Our Lady of Assumption Chapel at Guirim, North Goa.
Two other statues were found desecrated inside the chapel. Another major theft occurred at St Jaoquim's chapel at Borda, Margao, in which more valuable antiques were robbed.
What is also emerging, though, is that unscrupulous buyers are willing to fence the artefacts over the Internet. One such message reads: "Straight from Goa, a rare antique statue of St Ignatius de Loyola, in excellent condition; also, an 18th century Indo-Portuguese pieta, of direct Goan provenance, for sale on the Internet."
Art collectors often come across such stolen antiques while scouring the Internet. And it is also clear that while the burglaries are committed by local gangs, their handlers are elsewhere, and a part of some organised network.
The ASI says less than 30 per cent of antiquities are registered. One aspect is the outdated Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, under which it is illegal to export art objects that are over 100 years old; however, the Act itself contains no teeth to empower police and customs officials to enforce it.
