CBCID begins probe into 103 Kg gold missing from CBI custody

After the Madras High Court ordered a probe into 103 kg gold missing from CBI custody, Tamil Nadu Crime Branch initiated its investigation. Sources in the agency said when the matter came to the notice it was clear that seals were intact so the first move was to ascertain what could have happened.

Chennai: The Crime Branch Criminal Investigation Division(CBCID) on Monday began its probe into the sensational case of CBI losing 103 Kg gold from its custody.

Earlier, the Madras High Court has ordered the CBCID to go into the case and file a detailed report into the incident while hearing a petition from official liquidator of Surana corporation.

The missing gold case surfaced when the vaults were opened in the presence of official liquidator, officials belonging to six Banks and independent witnesses to hand over the gold to the lender banks of Surana Corporation.

Subsequently, the CBCID which has taken up the probe has served summons to Ramasubramanian, official liquidator for Surana Corporation, to record his statement.

In response, the Ramasubramanian's lawyer appeared before the CBCID officials probing the case and submitted the statement of Ramasubramanian as to what transpired while the vaults were opened and audited before they were taken over.

It is learnt that the lawyer has also submitted the video recordings of the vault openings.

The CBCID officials are also perusing the CCTV visuals from Surana Corporation premises where the gold was stored.

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In 2012, gold weighing 400.47 kg, which was illegally imported, was seized from Surana Corporation in the City by the CBI sleuths. CBI officials had sealed the vaults and have submitted the keys of the same with the jurisdictional court.

When the vaults were opened for liquidation of the gold as per a court direction, the officials found there was a huge discrepancy in the quantum of gold. Subsequently, the liquidation official moved the Madras High Court seeking a direction to solve the mystery of the gold missing.

Of 400 kg of gold seized, the audit added up only about 297 kg of gold and the rest 103.8 kg of gold was missing.

The curious case of gold missing is the first in the history of India where its premiere investigation agency has come under the lens of a state police unit ever since inception.