PTI
New York, Mar 6: Mahatma Gandhi's five personal items, including the iconic round eye glasses, finally went under the hammer and were bought by Indian liquor baron Vijay Mallya for USD 1.8 million after hours of high drama.
But the sale would take two weeks to finalise as the owner of Gandhi's prized memorabilia, James Otis had announced outside the Antiquorum Auctioneers auction house that he has decided not to sell the items in the light of controversy.
"The items would be kept with the Auctioneer for two weeks to resolve any claims," a spokesperson for Antiquorum Auctioneers said.
This means, Mallya will have to wait for next two weeks to get the possession of items of the Father of the Nation. The liqour baron is then expected to return the items to the Government of India.
Tony Bedi, who bidded on behalf of Mallya said that he was "bidding for the country" and this sale means that Gandhi's items would now return to India.
Apart from trademark spectacles, which once Gandhi has said gave him "the vision to free India," a pair of his worn sandals, his Zenith pocket watch, made in about 1910, a bowl and plate went under the hammer.
A large number of Indian-American, who were present in the auction room, burst into cheers and clapping when the bid closed saying that the items will now go back to India.
It is said that Mallya and Indian-American hotelier Sant Singh Chatwal had come to an understanding, before the bidding, that they would not bid against each other and were in contact with each other over the telephone while the bid was on.
The last time, when the sword of Tipu Sultan went under the hammer at a London auction house four years ago, Mallya coughed up Rs four crore to bring it back to India.
Earlier, speaking to reporters here, Otis said: "In the last few hours, I have decided, in the light of the controversy, not to sell Gandhi's personal items."
Otis' move came after intense negotiations between him and Indian diplomats at the Indian Consulate in New York.
Otis earlier in the day set new conditions including that India shift priorities from military spending to health care especially for the poor if he has to call off the auction.
In 2007, India managed to obtain another piece of Gandhi memorabilia ― a manuscript of an article he wrote ― after persuading the auctioneers to withdraw the document from sale.