Media STATEMENT 
5 December 2013 

The National Gallery of Australia is aware that Aaron M Freedman – office manager for Subhash Kapoor's Art of the Past art dealership in New York – has pleaded guilty to six counts of criminal possession of stolen property in the New York Supreme Court. The NGA's Chola-period Shiva Nataraja is among the items listed as being illegally exported from India. 
This information represents a significant and concrete development in the available information regarding the Kapoor case. The Gallery has instructed its American attorneys to commence legal proceedings against Subhash Kapoor in accordance with the provisions of our acquisition agreement. 
NGA Director Ron Radford has already contacted the Indian High Commission to discuss avenues for restitution: the Gallery has been in close contact with the High Commissioner on this issue since July 2012 before the story was first reported in the mediathe following month.