International antiquities dealer Subash Kapoor, accused of stealing idols, will be handed over to the Centre

International antique dealer Subhash Chandra Kapoor. File | Photo credit: The Hindu

International antiquities dealer Subash Chandra Kapoor, who is in Tiruchi jail for stealing idols, is likely to be handed over to the Union government authorities soon following an order by the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court to repatriate him to Germany, sources said.

Kapoor, who has been accused of involvement in a number of idol theft cases in Tamil Nadu and other countries, is a US citizen. In 2012, he was extradited from Germany to India in connection with a case registered by the Udayarpalayam police in 2008 regarding the theft of 19 idols from a temple. As part of the extradition process, India assured Germany that Kapoor would not be prosecuted in any case other than the one for which he was extradited without Germany’s consent.

HC orders Center to follow law to return international antiquities dealer Subash Chandra Kapoor to Germany

In this case, he was convicted by Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Kumbakonam in November 2022 and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Taking into account the time he had already spent in custody, he completed his sentence and was scheduled to be released in February 2023. However, he was subsequently arrested by the Idol Wing CID in four other cases and continued to remain lodged in the Tiruchi Central Jail.

Searched in multiple countries

Germany and the US have also sought his extradition in connection with cases pending against him in those countries.

In December last year, Kapoor filed a habeas corpus petition before the Madurai Bench, arguing that his continued detention in other cases without Germany’s consent violated the extradition treaty between India and Germany.

Meanwhile, the Union government sought to take custody of Kapoor and produce him before the extradition court at Patiala House in New Delhi. The High Court ruled that his continued detention was without authority of law and could not be sustained without the consent of the requested state, as required by the Extradition Act 1962 and the Extradition Treaty.

The court ordered the Union government to take Kapoor into custody from Tiruchi Central Jail within two weeks and return him to Germany in accordance with law.

“probable repatriation”

Kapoor’s defense lawyer A. Manoj Kumar said his client will now be repatriated to Germany. “Following the Supreme Court’s landmark verdict declaring the continued detention of Subash Chandra Kapoor illegal, we issue a formal appeal to the Union of India to comply with the court order within two weeks. The Union Government will take Mr. Kapoor into its custody and repatriate him to Germany in strict accordance with India’s sovereign obligations and the principle of extradition.”

A senior prison department officer said, “We are yet to receive the Supreme Court’s order. Only after receiving the order will we be able to decide on the next course of action in accordance with the law.”

Published – 9 Sep 2026 20:58 IST