The Income Tax Department has intensified its investigation into former RTO constable Saurabh Sharma, questioning him for five hours inside Central Jail regarding the seizure of gold and cash from a car in Mendori forest. Sharma, however, repeatedly denied any involvement in the matter.
On Monday, a six-member team of Income Tax officers arrived at the jail to interrogate Sharma for the first time. The questioning, which began at 3:15 pm, continued until 8:15 pm, focusing on two key aspects—ownership of the gold and cash found in the car and who took the vehicle to Mendori forest on the night of December 19-20.
According to jail sources, Saurabh Sharma remained evasive throughout the interrogation, repeatedly asserting that he had no connection to the gold and cash-laden car. He maintained that the vehicle did not belong to him and suggested that the actual owner should be questioned.
However, Chetan Singh Gaur, the registered owner of the Innova car in which the 52 kg of gold and ?11 crore cash were found, had already stated during his earlier interrogation that the gold and cash belonged to Saurabh Sharma.
The Income Tax Department had filed an application in Judge R.P. Mishra’s court, seeking permission to interrogate Sharma and his associates—Chetan Singh Gaur and Sharad Jaiswal. During the hearing on Thursday, the court questioned which officers would conduct the interrogation before reserving its order. On Friday, permission was granted without listing specific officers.
All three accused—Saurabh Sharma, Chetan Singh Gaur, and Sharad Jaiswal—were previously sent to judicial custody for 14 days and are set to remain in jail until March 3.
On the night of December 19-20, 2023, authorities seized an Innova car abandoned in Mendori forest, containing 52 kg of gold and ?11 crore in cash. The Income Tax Department had earlier interrogated Chetan Singh Gaur, who admitted that while the car was registered in his name, it was regularly used by Saurabh Sharma.
Following this revelation, investigators were eager to question Sharma, but due to his custody status, they had to obtain court permission. Income Tax Department lawyer Ikram Khan confirmed that interrogation will proceed per the jail manual, without a fixed timeline, and will involve all three accused.
The case continues to unravel as authorities seek to establish the true ownership of the seized assets and the alleged role of Saurabh Sharma and his associates in the matter.