NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said Saturday that an internal investigation is underway into the matter of 100kg of gold in custody in Chennai disappeared.
“It is clarified that CBI in case number RC-24/2012 had searched the building of Surana Corporation Limited, NSC Bose Road, Chennai, and had prepared a search list. The search list mentioned that 400.47 kg of gold had been inventoried and kept in safes and vaults in Surana, sealed in the presence of independent witnesses and the General Director of the Surana corporation and his officials, ”said the agency spokesperson said.
According to CBI, the vaults were opened and inspected, according to the instructions of the Madras High Court, in the presence of the official liquidator, officials belonging to six banks and independent witnesses from February 27 to 29 of this year to deliver the gold to the lending banks. from Surana Corporation.
“The seals placed on the vaults were found intact. However, the gold weighed only 296.66 kg. The agency promptly ordered an internal investigation by a senior officer to investigate the role of its officials, if any, “the spokesperson added.
The spokesman said the inventoried gold was not kept in the agency’s ‘malkhana’ but in the Surana facility under the CBI seal. While the investigation was ongoing, a petition was filed in the Madras High Court, which issued an order on December 11.
“The internal CBI investigation continues and if any adverse role of an agency official emerges, strict measures will be taken against him,” the agency said.
Regarding the investigation of the case that is assigned to the state police, the agency said that the higher court had observed that CBI under the DSPE Act had no authority to register a theft case that falls within the domain of the local police. “The case will be registered by CB-CID of state and the investigation will be carried out by an official of the rank of SP in CB-CID ”, said.
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