The Kerala High Court has permitted a Bangalore-based auction house to sell some paintings of renowned artist Raja Ravi Varma in New Delhi today but restrained it from handing over the works or their export for a month. The direction was issued by a division bench comprising justices C N Ramachandran Nair and B P Ray on Monday on a petition filed by advocate Archana Narayanan challenging the auction by Bid and Hammer Auctioneers Private Limited. The bench clarified that the sale would be subject to the result of the petition. The court also directed the auction house to file statement regarding ownership and justifying the sale of the paintings.