In a rather unusual revelation, 103 kg gold worth Rs 45,00,00,000 (45 crore) has gone “missing” from the “safe” custody of India’s premier investigating agency-the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The CBI had reportedly seized the gold from a Chennai-based importer in 2012.
In a major embarrassment to the CBI, the Madras High Court Friday ordered the Tamil Nadu Police to probe the disappearance of gold from the agency’s custody, rejecting its plea that “the prestige of the CBI would come down if investigation is done by the local police”.
Asking the CB-CID to register an FIR, the court said: “It may be an agni pariksha (trial by fire) for the CBI, but that cannot be helped. If their hands are clean, like Sita, they may come out brighter. If not, they would have to face the music.”
The central agency said it had handed over the 72 keys of the safes and vaults to the Chennai principal special court for CBI cases. 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 the SBI, it was weighed individually and that was the reason for the discrepancy.