CHENNAI: As controversy surrounds the theft of sensitive hard disks from the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board, the State government has transferred the investigation to the Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department (CB-CID).
The case came to light after 34 computer hard disks went missing from the Information Technology section of the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board’s headquarters on Anna Salai in the city. The disappearance of the storage devices sparked allegations from opposition parties, which claimed that the theft could be part of a larger conspiracy to destroy or conceal critical information. Several political leaders demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the matter.
Acting on the directions of Chennai Police Commissioner A Amalraj, the Chintadripet police registered a case and launched an investigation. During the probe, the police arrested Gopinath (31), a computer supervisor at the TNEB headquarters, on Sunday. Investigators said that he had stolen the hard disks and sold them to a computer company in Bengaluru.
Following the arrest, a special police team travelled to Bengaluru and recovered all 34 missing hard disks. Gopinath, a native of Valarpuram village near Arakkonam, had reportedly joined the TNEB headquarters about a year ago. He was produced before the Egmore Metropolitan Magistrate Court, which remanded him in judicial custody until June 19.
Police officials said they are planning to seek his custody again for further interrogation as the investigation progresses.
The police also arrested Murali Manohar, the president of the Bengaluru-based computer company that allegedly purchased the stolen hard disks. He is currently being questioned by investigators, and officials said he would be produced before a court and remanded in judicial custody after the interrogation process is completed.
Meanwhile, the State government has handed over the case to the CBCID following a recommendation made by the Chennai Police to the Director General of Police (DGP). The transfer is expected to intensify the investigation and help authorities determine whether the theft was merely a case of illegal disposal of government property or part of a larger attempt to tamper with sensitive data stored by the electricity utility.
The development comes amid continuing demands from opposition parties for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of the hard disks and the nature of the information stored in them. Investigators will probe if any records were compromised and if additional individuals were involved in the alleged theft and sale of the devices.