Foreign currency worth Rs 1.51 lakh was allegedly stolen from former Home Secretary and current chairman of International Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), lC Goyal’s baggage at IGI Airport. Goyal lodged a complaint with the IGI airport police from Hong Kong, said officials, adding that he had put the bag at IGI airport for scanning before being loaded on the flight.
Confirming the incident, Deputy Commissioner of Police, IGI Airport, Sanjay Bhatia, said an FIR has been lodged and investigation in the matter is on.
"Goyal alleged that he along with two other officers of ITPO, travelled to Hong Kong via Bangkok from Delhi on an official tour on October 3 by Air India flight number-332. He further alleged that Air India staff persuaded him at the counter in Delhi that it would be better to have the luggage checked in right up to Hong Kong," said police.
Goyal's baggage, a small black-coloured-Samsonite brieface, was a priority-tagged check-in luggage, since he was travelling in business class.
"After boarding the Air India flight at Delhi and when some passengers were yet to board the plane, I mentioned to the lady cabin in-charge of the flight that I have kept significant cash in my checked-in-baggage and whether I could take the cash out from my bag but she mentioned that it was too late," alleged Goyal.
After Goyal reached Bankok, he again mentioned his desire to take out the cash in Bangkok but that could not materialise as his luggage was already transferred to the flight to the connecting flight to Hongkong, said the police official.
"On landing in Hong Kong, I inspected my baggage and found that it was tampered with and to my utter surprise, the foreign exchange amounting to 1200 US dollars and 8000 Hong Kong dollars (approximately 1.51 lakh) was missing. It appears to me that when the checked in baggage was scanned at the IGI airport, the money was stolen," Goyal further alleged.
On the basis of Goyal's complaint a case was registered at the IGI airport police station under section 379 (theft) and 406(Criminal Breach of trust) of the Indian Penal Code.