Gold missing from CBI custody: The Madras High Court has ordered the Tamil Nadu police to probe the case of missing gold from CBI custody. Around 400 kg gold in ornaments and bullions was confiscated by the central investigation agency when it performed search operations at Surana Corporation Ltd Chennai workplace in 2012. The gold was kept in the vaults of Surana Corporation beneath lock and important by CBI. However, more than 103 kg of gold was discovered missing when vaults had been opened in February.
PTI citing sources reports that an inquiry beneath a SP-ranked officer was ordered in March but quickly immediately after lockdown came into force, creating it tough to get in touch with men and women and record statements. The sources also told the news agency that the officers involved in the seizure eight years ago had retired and it was tough to track them for the duration of the lockdown. In the meantime, Surana approached the High Court following which a choice was taken to wait for its orders, the report stated.
During the hearing on Friday, the CBI stated that its prestige would ‘go down’ if the case was probed by the neighborhood police. Rejecting this submission, the Madras HC stated that all policemen be it neighborhood police or the CBI should really be trusted and the probe should really be thought of as ‘agnipariksha’ (test of fire) by the investigating agency, according to PTI. “It does not lie in the mouth of one to say that CBI has special horns, whereas, local police have only tail,” the court stated.
Releasing a clarification, the CBI on Saturday stated that the gold was not kept in the Malkhana of CBI, but in premises of Surana only beneath their seal and in the presence of an independent witness and Surana Corporation MD and other enterprise officials. It stated as per the directions of the High Court, the vaults had been opened in the presence of official liquidator, officials belonging to six banks and independent witnesses and inspected from February 27 to February 29 to hand more than the gold to the lender banks of Surana Corporation.
“The seals affixed on the vaults were found intact. However, gold weighed only 296.66 kgs. As the discrepancy between the quantity mentioned in search memo and as per the weight came to notice, CBI promptly ordered an internal inquiry by a senior officer to look into the role of its officials, if any,” the CBI stated.
The CBI additional clarified that it has ordered an internal enquiry to appear into the part of any of their officials in the theft of one hundred kg gold and if an adverse part of any official surfaces, strict action will be taken against them. “A case will be registered by the CB-CID of State and investigation will be conducted by an officer of the rank of SP in CB-CID,” the statement stated.