International antique dealer Subhash Chandra Kapoor. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
International antiques dealer Subash Chandra Kapoor, who is in a Tiruchi jail for idol theft, is likely to be handed over to the Union government authorities soon, following an order of 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 as well as in other countries, is a U.S. citizen. He was extradited from Germany to India in 2012 in connection with a case registered by the Udayarpalayam police in 2008 over the theft of 19 idols from a temple. As part of the extradition process, India had 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 directs Centre to proceed in accordance with law for returning International antique dealer Subash Chandra Kapoor to Germany
He was convicted in that case by the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Kumbakonam, in November 2022 and sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment. After taking into account the period already spent in custody, he completed his sentence and was due for release in February 2023. However, he was subsequently arrested by the Idol Wing CID in four other cases and continued to remain lodged in the Central Prison at Tiruchi.
Wanted in multiple countries
Germany and the U.S. had 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, contending 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 in Patiala House, New Delhi. The High Court held that his continued detention was without authority of law and could not be sustained in the absence of the consent of the requested State, as required under the Extradition Act, 1962, and the Extradition Treaty.
The court directed the Union government to take custody of Kapoor from the Central Prison, Tiruchi, within two weeks and proceed in accordance with law to return him to Germany.
‘Repatriation likely’
Kapoor’s advocate A. Manoj Kumar said his client would now be repatriated to Germany. “Following the landmark verdict of the High Court holding the continued detention of Subash Chandra Kapoor illegal, we are issuing a formal notice to the Union of India to comply with the court’s order within two weeks. The Union government will take Mr Kapoor into its custody and repatriate him to Germany strictly in accordance with India’s sovereign commitments under the Extradition Treaty and the principle of specialty,” he said.
A senior Prison Department officer said, “We are yet to receive the order of the High Court. Only after receiving the order will we be in a position to decide the next course of action in accordance with law.”
Published – September 09, 2026 08:58 pm IST
