Two years after gold worth Rs 70 crore was reported to be stolen from the Delhi Government’s Sales Tax Department in May 2014, six officers suspended in the case have finally agreed to undergo brain mapping test to help the investigators crack the mystery behind the sensational theft case.
The Government is all set to initiate departmental proceedings against the six suspects —former Joint Commissioner of Sales Tax Department Ashish Mohan, VAT officer Hom Karan, VAT inspectors Ravinder Singh, Praveen Kumar and Pankaj Kumar and DANICS officer Joginder Singh — in the matter, who are under the scanner of the vigilance wing of the Delhi Government administration.
“The Government is now mulling the idea of taking penal action against the accused as, it still remains a mystery as to who owned the seized gold,” top sources told The Pioneer.
Earlier, an Inquiry Committee headed by then Principal Secretary (Home) Archna Arora had blamed the six officials for criminal lapses that had resulted in the theft of gold.
Arora’s report had punched gaping holes in the claims of the senior officials of the Trade and Taxes Department who had deliberately kept the gold that was seized on the office premises for more than a week and after that it was kept in conference hall without any security.
The report had also questioned the conduct of VAT officials who were allegedly running a cartel. The report also held that then Commissioner Prashant Goyal was guilty of procedural lapses and supervisory control. Arora had also levelled serious allegations against the Special Commissioner Ashish Mohan and held him responsible for the misappropriation of the gold.
What had surprised one and all was the fact that the senior officials neither informed the then Trade and Taxes Commissioner Prashant Goyal nor they got the seized gold valued. It had posed serious doubts on the conduct of officials, including Special Commissioner Ashish Mohan. The report was then sent to the Vigilance Department for further departmental action against the delinquent officials. During the enquiry, a peon who was also suspected to be involved in the theft had committed suicide.
The enquiry report had found that the officials did not prepare an inventory. The officials are said to have deliberately not mentioned the total seizure whether the gold was in the form of bars or biscuits. They also did not follow the basic procedure and even did not put the seized gold in a secured vault.
Reports suggest that some 170 CCTV cameras were installed at the Sales Tax Office. Only 60 of the total cameras were said to be functioning at the time of the theft. Preliminary investigations had also failed to find any fingerprint at the crime spot.
In Narco test, the person is injected with ‘truth serums’ that cause the person to become uninhibited and talkative. “In the Narco Analysis Test, the subject’s imagination is neutralised by making him semi-conscious. In this state, it becomes difficult for him to lie and his answers would be restricted to facts he is already aware of,” said sources.