India, Oct. 22 -- The Bombay High Court has ordered the auction of five paintings owned by Mafatlal Dyes and Chemicals Limited (MDCL), which went under liquidation in 2010. It held that the paintings, including works by MF Husain and FN Souza, belonged to the company and not members of the Mafatlal family including Atulya Mafatlal and his former wife Sheetal, who staked their claim to the art works.

The paintings - two art works by MF Husain and one each by FN Souza, Biren De and Jogen Chowdhury - were among 44 caught in a legal battle between members of the business family including socialite Sheetal Mafatlal, her former husband Atulya, and Atulya's brother Ajay, who was Aparna prior to gender reassignment.

Unable to pay its debts, MDC...