Section 19(7) in The Antiquities And Art Treasures Act, 1972
(7)The power of compulsory acquisition conferred by this section shall not extend to any object, being an antiquity or art treasure, used for bona fide religious observances.Explanation.—In this section, “public place” means any place which is open to the use of the public, whether on payment of fees or not, or whether it is actually used by the public or not.Antiquities and art treasures are price less objects. They can provide immense material for study of Hindu and Buddhist culture in the State of Orissa. Malkhana of Courts are certainly not the places of storage of such articles. With a view to provide, interested persons, materials for their study and research, they can be handed over to the State Museum; In the matter of Preservation of Antiquities involved in Criminal Trials, AIR 1999 Ori 53.
