Chennai: After nearly 100 kilos of gold was reported missing from CBI custody in Chennai, the Madras High Court on Ssaturday directed the Tamil Nadu Crime Branch-CID police to probe the case.
In a major embarassment for the central probe agency, atleast 103 kg of gold which was seized by CBI in a raid from an importer in the city was reported ‘missing’.
In a raid carried out by the CBI at the office of Surana Corporation Ltd in Chennai in 2012, at least 400.47 kg gold in bullion and ornaments were confiscated.
On Friday, Justice P N Prakash directed the CB-CID to conduct an inquiry by an officer in the rank of superintendent of police to be completed in six months. It rejected CBI’s submission that its prestige would “go down” if the investigation was carried out by local police.
The judge said, “This court cannot subscribe to this view because the law does not sanction such an inference.”
The matter relates to a petition filed by the liquidator of Surana Corporation Ltd, seeking a direction to CBI to handover the remaining 103.864 kg gold. The seized material was kept in the safes and vaults of Surana Corporation Ltd under the CBI’s lock and seal.
The central agency submitted that it had handed over the 72 keys of the safes and vaults to the Chennai principal special court for CBI cases.
Meanwhile, the CBI claimed that during the seizure, the gold bars were weighed all- together but while handing over to the liquidator, appointed for a settlement of debts between Surana and SBI, it was weighed individually and that was the reason for the discrepancy.
(With inputs from agencies)