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NY DA Returns $14M Indian Antiquities, Calls for Koh-i-Noor Return

5/1/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced the return of 657 antiquities worth $14 million to India.
The items—a bronze Avalokiteshvara, red-sandstone Buddha and dancing Ganesha—are linked to indicted smuggler Subhash Kapoor and co-conspirator Ranjeet “Shantoo” Kanwar.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he will privately urge King Charles to return the Koh-i-Noor, noting New York’s colonial oppression.
Historian William Dalrymple called the diamond historically unlucky and a flashpoint in colonial-legacy debates.

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Story summary

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced the return of 657 antiquities worth $14 million to India.
The items—a bronze Avalokiteshvara, red-sandstone Buddha and dancing Ganesha—are linked to indicted smuggler Subhash Kapoor and co-conspirator Ranjeet “Shantoo” Kanwar.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he will privately urge King Charles to return the Koh-i-Noor, noting New York’s colonial oppression.
Historian William Dalrymple called the diamond historically unlucky and a flashpoint in colonial-legacy debates.