PCS officer’s journey from property dealing to antiques

Vishav Bharti

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 20

“I have a huge collection of antiques,” the PCS officer has accepted before the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI). From a small-time property dealer to a major antiquity agent — that is Navjot Pal Singh Randhawa’s journey. In between, his official position in the Punjab Government proved to be of immense use in shaping his transition.

Former director of the state’s museums, Randhawa owns one of Punjab’s biggest private antiques collections, which includes daggers, swords, ‘bandooks’, rare books and oil paintings. Last month, in a letter written to the state government, the DRI communicated that Randhawa was helping antiques smuggler Vijay Nanda.

(PLUNDER OF HERITAGE-I: Antiques smugglers had a free run of Punjab's heritage)

Randhawa’s bio-data is rich with experience. Before being inducted in the Punjab Civil Services in 2001 under the “Honour and Gratitude Scheme” of the state government, he wore several hats: from a licensed arms dealer to an art adviser for a hotel in Delhi; a small construction contractor to a small-town property dealer. But once in government service, more than half his tenure has been spent at various museums —as Director, Chandigarh Museums, from 2007 to 2011; and as Director, Museums and Archaeology, Punjab, from 2013 to 2017.

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The DRI’s investigation into antiquities smuggling led to Delhi-based smuggler Devesh Goel. When Goel was questioned about the source of procurement of various heritage items — supplied to Nanda’s Sage Mercantile — he told the DRI on March 31 that he had purchased some of these items from Randhawa. He also told the DRI he had struck multiple deals with Randhawa and paid him around Rs 1.8 crore in cash.

Goel also claimed that he knew Randhawa for many years and had introduced Nanda to Randhawa in December 2014. Nanda was desperately looking for heritage furniture and, at the same time, Randhawa had informed him that he had purchased a substantial lot of furniture from Panjab University and various government departments of Punjab as scarp, allegedly in the name of Patiala-based scrap dealer Sandeep Singh Anand. “The furniture was purchased by Randhawa Sir only,” Goel told the DRI.

Not only heritage furniture, Randhawa also allegedly started selling antiquities to Nanda. “I know that Randhawa Sir has arranged a few antiquities for Vijay Sir,” Goel submitted. He revealed that “Randhawa Sir had connections in almost all the royal families of Punjab. He used to use/exploit these connections to strike deals.”

Goel’s statement and frequent communication between Nanda and Randhawa led the DRI to summon Randhawa on May 1.

In his statement before the DRI, Randhawa has allegedly confessed to accepting money from Goel, but less than the Rs 1.8 crore claimed by Goel. “I have not kept record of the sales,” he claimed. But in Goel’s handwritten personal accounts — submitted to the DRI — payments to Randhawa figure frequently.

Randhawa also claimed that most of his collection of antiques was registered. “However, a few of the… pieces… are not registered as I have inherited them on the death of my grandmother,” he claimed.

He stated that he had requested Nanda to bid on his behalf on a few occasions for books or daggers in the auctions conducted by auction houses such as Sotheby’s and Christies. “I am fond of buying old things. I often buy old records, photographs, labels, paintings, bandooks, daggers, swords, furniture, etc. I sell or exchange these items whenever I get a good price for it or get a good exchange offer,” he claimed.

One strong suspicion that emerges from Goel’s statement as well as various documents that form part of the DRI dossier is that Randhawa was deeply into the trading of heritage and antiquity items for more than a decade. He narrated an incident from 2009, when a French buyer was looking for heritage furniture items designed by Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret. Randhawa struck a deal for Rs 4.8 lakh. The deal took place when Randhawa was serving as Director of Chandigarh Museum.

Attempts to contact Randhawa on his mobile over the past one week have remained futile. He did not even respond to a message left at his present office at Punjab Energy Development Agency in Chandigarh, where he is currently posted as CEO.

(This is the last of a three-part series)

Suspend officer, Sidhu tells CM

Chandigarh: Reacting to The Tribune series on antiques theft in Punjab, Tourism and Cultural Affairs Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu has written a letter to CM Capt Amarinder Singh asking him to suspend PCS officer Navjot Pal Singh Randhawa. Sidhu told the CM that Randhawa had confessed before the DRI that he was in touch with Nanda and his associate Devesh Goel. Sidhu said Randhawa had also confessed that he had been sending information about the available antiques in Punjab Museums and various offices and admitted that he accepted Rs 1.5 crore from Nanda. Sidhu demanded that Randhawa be placed under suspension immediately and a detailed inquiry be conducted against him by some senior officer. He also asked the CM to order a CBI inquiry into the case. TNS