Wed Oct 09 05:01:51 UTC 2024: ## Mumbai University Faces Court Scrutiny Over Missing Historic Coin Collection
**Mumbai, India:** The Bombay High Court has expressed serious concerns about Mumbai University’s negligence in protecting its valuable historic coin collection, which has reportedly been depleted through improper auctions and missing pieces.
The court’s intervention arose from a petition filed by the Mumbai Coin Society, highlighting the alarming state of the Dinesh Mody Numismatic Museum on the university’s Kalina Campus. Once home to a collection of over 25,000 coins, the museum is now described as nearly empty, with only a few non-antique coins remaining.
The original collection, donated by Dinesh Mody in the early 1990s, was intended for public preservation and academic study. However, allegations have emerged that a significant portion of the coins have been lost or improperly auctioned off, some of which have been identified in auctions conducted by the Classic Numismatic Gallery in Ahmedabad. Further claims suggest that Mody retained some of the donated coins.
During the hearing, the court questioned the university’s lawyer about the lack of action to recover the lost property. “Have you registered an FIR?” asked Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya, emphasizing the cultural and historical significance of the coins. The lawyer admitted that while the university had been in communication with Mody, no police report had been filed.
The bench sharply criticized the university’s inaction, stating, “It was property of the university. No steps are taken. Enquiry is of no consequence. Your property is siphoned off, and you are kept quiet. This is not just the property of the university. Beyond the metal of the coin, it has value. This is the property of the people of this country. This is heritage. What are you doing?”
In response, the court ordered both Mody and the Classic Numismatic Gallery to provide an inventory of the coins in their possession and to file affidavits detailing the auction history of the university’s coins. Any remaining coins are to be handed over to the High Court for safekeeping.
The court emphasized the historical and cultural significance of the coins, recognizing their value beyond monetary worth. The collection holds potential for academic study and research in fields like history and archaeology.
The next hearing is scheduled for November 13, with affidavits due by October 22. The university’s inaction and the fate of the historic coin collection are now in the hands of the court.
First Piper 