Mumbai auctioneers Saffronart will conduct a sale of fugitive businessman Nirav Modi's luxury collections, both online and then physically. The auction is understandably high profile, given the background of the individual who is cooling his heels in a British jail.

There is a line of thought which says that Nirav cannot be looked on as a celebrity, and too much should not be made of the sale. Experienced auctioneers, though, say bidders simply look at an art work as something that has entered the market and can be bought at an attractive price. Yet another school of thought say that by buying a 'lot' the person is actually giving money that goes back to the government of India. All Dinesh Vazirani, Saffronart CEO and co-founder, warily says is that the Spring Online and Spring Live auctions, will see some interesting lots and extremely attractive prices. While online is self-explanatory, a crowd of bidders can be expected at his Prabhadevi gallery, which is close to the landmark Century Bazaar on March 5 when the action and auction moves from the cyber space to the real world. Any which way expect an a(u)ction-packed start to this month.