A fan from Riyadh wanted to buy four paintings worth Rs 4.3 lakh from artist Manoj Das. All he had to do was courier the artworks to him. But that was the beginning of a frustrating journey for Das as the consignment got lost in transit. Instead of tracing it, the staff allegedly offered him Rs 5,000 as compensation. Das then approached the police who tracked the paintings to Chennai and handed them over to him.

Bhayandar resident Das said he has showcased his work at exhibitions in several countries. Last December, a fan from Riyadh placed an order for our paintings, including that of Radhakrishna and Lord Ganesha. The deal was finalised at Rs 4.3 lakh. Police said they worked on the matter for 1.5 months.