Mallya Buys Gandhi Memorblia

Gandhi’s iconic round glasses, watch and other items sold for $1.8 million to Mallya, in spite of an order to cancel the sale by owner James Otis and an uproar in India.A representative for Mallya, Tony placed the winning bid at New York’s Antiquorum Auctioneers auction house despite protests in India and an injunction from Delhi High court seeking to halt the sale. However, The US justice department has asked the auction house to hold the lot, which also includes, a 1910 silver Zenith pocket watch, sandals, a bowl, a “thali” (plate) and letters of authenticity, for two weeks pending a resolution between the new owner, and the US and Indian governments. Tony later announced that the belongings would be returned to India for public display, but it was not clear whether they would be turned over to the government, as some officials have demanded. The bidders included a dozen people in the room, 30 people on the phone, and about two dozen people who submitted written bids. The second highest bid was a $1.75 million bid submitted online from Britain, said the auction house.