A CID Forest Cell team raided Natesan’s Antiqarts (New Delhi Pvt Ltd) on 100 Feet Road, Indiranagar at around 2 pm and reportedly found an ivory statue of a Japanese geisha weighing 166 gm in the store.

The notional value of this seven inches tall and four inches broad artefact in the grey market is estimated to be anywhere between Rs two lakh and Rs 20 lakh, said Inspector General, CID Forest Cell KSN Chikkerur.

Possession of ivory is a cognisable offence under the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, amended 1993. The father-son duo was arrested under the Act and Section 379 of the Indian Penal Code amounting to theft.

“Based on a complaint filed by police inspector CID Forest Cell Venkatashetty at the Indiranager police station we arrested the Natesans at around 8.15 pm on Wednesday. They were produced before the 10th ACMM on Thursday morning. The court rejected their bail plea. They have been remanded to judicial custody till October 25,” said Inspector, Indiranagar Police Station, V P M Swamy.

Sources in Natesan’s maintained that the statue did not belong to them. “The family is in the business for last 75 years and there has never been any complaint so far. We are law-abiding people and are reputed internationally,” said the source. 

When contacted, family sources said that father and son were out of town for two days.

The Natesan’s Antiqarts belongs to Mr KG Natesan. The other store on M G Road was established in 1970 and belongs to Mr Shankar Natesan. The Indiranagar shop was closed on Thursday.

Seizure of banned wild life products in artefacts and handicrafts stores is not new to Bangalore. Last month, the CID Forest Cell raided an artefact shop on Commercial Street and seized ivory from there. The owner was arrested and later released on bail.

A couple of years ago the Cell had raided a jewellry shop in the City and seized tiger nails from there. “One tiger nail is priced in the international underworld market between Rs 25,000 and Rs 50,000. It is used as a talisman,” said a senior police officer.

Two years ago, the Forest Department had set up a decoy and seized a Shatoosh shawl from a handicraft shop on Cunningham Road. Shatoosh is banned under the Wildlife (Protection) Act.