law: Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958
  26.Purchase of antiquities by Central
  
  Government.-
  (1) If the Central Government apprehends that any
  
  antiquity mentioned in a notification issued under sub-section (1) of section
  
  25 is in danger of being destroyed, removed, injured, misused or allowed to
  
  fall into decay or is of opinion that, by reason of its historical or
  
  archaeological importance, it is desirable to preserve such antiquity in a
  
  public place, the Central Government may make an order for the compulsory
  
  purchase of such antiquity at its market value and the Collector shall
  
  thereupon give notice to the owner of the antiquity to be purchased.
  (2) Where a notice of compulsory purchase is issued under sub-section (1) in
  
  respect of any antiquity, such antiquity shall vest in the Central Government
  
  with effect from the date of the notice.
  (3) The power of compulsory purchase given by
  
  this section shall not extend to any image or symbol actually used for bona
  
  fide religious observations.