Chandigarh's Lost Heritage: Police and College Dispute Over Le Corbusier Furniture

A troubling case of missing heritage furniture has exposed serious administrative failures in Chandigarh, where valuable Le Corbusier-era pieces remain unaccounted for seven years after police ordered their return to the Government College of Art in Sector 10.

The Theft and Recovery

In January 2016, heritage furniture including 15 chairs from the iconic Le Corbusier era was stolen from the Government College of Art. Police registered FIR No. 8 on January 19, 2016, at Sector 3 Police Station under sections 380 (theft), 457 (house-breaking), 411 (receiving stolen property), and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.

The stolen items were eventually recovered and stored in the police station's malkhana (property room), where they remained for nearly three years while legal proceedings continued.

Conflicting Letters Create Confusion

The situation took a confusing turn in October 2018 when two contradictory letters were issued within 48 hours. On October 30, 2018, Sector 3 Police Station wrote to the college principal stating: "This is to inform you that the said case is decided by the Hon'ble Court and your article is/are lying in the Malkhana of Police Station Sector-3, Chandigarh."

The police letter gave the college 15 days to collect the furniture, warning that otherwise the property would be "disposed of as per law."

Remarkably, just two days earlier on October 28, 2018, the college had written to police stating the exact opposite: "It is informed by the official concerned in the court that the case is still going on and the same is not decided yet." The college requested notification when the case was finally decided.

No document exists to clarify this fundamental contradiction about whether the court case had actually concluded.

The Missing Furniture Mystery

After the police issued their release instruction on October 30, 2018, there is no official record showing whether the college collected the heritage furniture. Official files contain no documentation about who took custody of the valuable items after the release order.

The issue resurfaced in October 2024 after a newspaper report highlighted that the recovered heritage furniture had still not returned to the college. In response, the college principal issued "Reminder–I" to Sector 3 Police Station, stating: "Heritage furniture which was recovered from thieves has not been received back."

Police officials maintain they cannot legally retain recovered property after issuing release orders. A munshi at Sector 3 Police Station explained: "If a release letter is issued, the claimant must take the property. Police cannot keep recovered items after release orders."

Administrative Red Flags and Poor Conditions

In February 2025, the Department of Urban Planning in Chandigarh Administration flagged discrepancies while examining the college's revalidated inventory of heritage furniture. Their letter noted: "It is observed that there is a variation in the number of heritage furniture items as compared to the earlier inventory submitted by your office in the year 2011–12."

The department marked the matter "most urgent" and stated it was being monitored by higher authorities, seeking clarification on the "discrepancy in the total number of heritage items."

Minutes from a July 21, 2025 meeting of the college's internal committee reveal alarming conditions for the heritage furniture that remains in their possession:

Out of 137 heritage furniture items, only 61 were found in good or active condition
76 items were recorded as "broken / not in use / stored"
The storage room lacks adequate space, causing items to be stacked on one another
Termite infestation and rainwater leakage were noted in the storage area
The committee specifically mentioned that items stolen in 2016 "were recovered by the police and same are not received back from the police station"

Unanswered Questions and Ongoing Dispute

The college committee noted that correspondence on the missing furniture continues with Sector 3 Police Station and suggested the matter "may be taken up with higher authority."

Seven years after the theft and nearly seven years after the conflicting release letters, fundamental questions remain unanswered:

Was the court case actually decided in October 2018 as police claimed?
Who took custody of the heritage furniture after the police release order?
Where are the 15 Le Corbusier-era chairs and other stolen items now?
Why did it take until 2024 for the college to formally follow up on the missing furniture?

The case highlights systemic issues in heritage preservation, inter-departmental communication, and property management protocols between educational institutions and law enforcement agencies in Chandigarh.