While the CBI has set up an “internal inquiry” after 103 kg gold worth Rs 43 crore, seized and sealed by it eight years ago, went missing, it clarified on Saturday that the missing gold in Tamil Nadu was not kept in its “malkhana” (vault) and was inventoried and kept in the safe of accused firm Surana Corporation.
“It is clarified that CBI searched the building of Surana Corporation Limited, NSC Bose Road, Chennai and prepared a search list. The search list mentioned that 400.47 kg gold has been inventorised and was kept in safe and vaults of Surana, sealed in presence of independent witnesses and the MD of Surana corporation and its officials,” the CBI said in a statement.
As per the directions of the Madras High Court, the vaults were opened in the presence of official liquidator, officials belonging to six Banks and independent witnesses inspected from February 27, 2020, to February 29, 2020, to hand over the gold to the lender banks of Surana Corporation, it said.
“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 agency said.
“It is clarified that the inventorised gold was not kept in Malkhana of CBI. Rather it was in premises of Surana only under the seal. While the enquiry was on, the petition was filed in High Court and accordingly High Court passed an order dated 11.12.2020,” it said.
CBI’s internal enquiry continues and if any adverse role of any CBI officials surfaces, strict action will be taken against them, it further said, adding, the Madras High Court has observed that CBI under the DSPE Act does not have authority to register a theft case which falls within the domain of local police.
The theft case will be registered by the CB-CID of Tamil Nadu and investigation will be conducted by an officer of the rank of SP in CB-CID, it added.
The gold is part of 400.47-kg bullion and ornaments confiscated by the CBI when it carried out searches at the office of Surana Corporation Ltd in Chennai in 2012 in a case pertaining to alleged favours extended by officials of Minerals and Metals Trading Corporation of India (MMTC) to the firm in import of gold and silver.
During the hearing on the matter in the Madras high court, the agency’s lawyer submitted that “an internal inquiry is being conducted by the CBI in this regard”.
“When this Court expressed its opinion, as to why no FIR was registered for theft, the learned Special Public Prosecutor submitted that an internal enquiry is being conducted by the CBI in this regard. He requested this Court to give a direction to the CBI to register an FIR for theft and conduct investigation. He even suggested that this Court could direct the CBI of the neighbouring State or the National Investigating Agency to conduct the investigation,” the high court bench said.
A regular FIR for theft should have been registered in the jurisdictional police station and the police investigation under Chapter XII of CrPC should have been conducted”, the high court noted.