BHOPAL: An MUV stuffed with bags containing more than 52 kg gold bullions (bricks) worth over Rs 40 crore and around Rs 10 crore cash was found parked at a desolate place on the outskirts of Bhopal on Thursday-Friday intervening night.
The discovery of the vehicle at an open area amid a clutch of farmhouses belonging to rich and powerful people and the seizure of the unaccounted gold and cash in Mendori (Ratibad) area assumed significance as it happened during two raids — one by the I-T department at more than four dozen locations of three prominent builders, and another by the Lokayukta Special Police Establishment at two premises linked to a transport department constable-turned-real estate businessman Saurabh Sharma in Bhopal.
Sharma is believed to have strong connections with rich and influential people in the state, including some former bureaucrats and cops.
Investigations revealed that the white-colour MUV, which bore hooters and the ‘RTO’ sticker, was owned by one Chandan Singh Gaur from Gwalior. The car bears the registration number of Gwalior district. Gaur has been living in Bhopal for the last four years. Interestingly, one of the two premises being raided by the Lokayukta also belongs to one Chandan Singh Gaur.
“On Thursday-Friday intervening night, we were informed about an MUV being parked on the road going towards Kushalpura. When our team reached there, it found seven-eight bags inside the vehicle, after which it was suspected that owing to the ongoing action (raids by agencies), someone could possibly be trying to do away with their assets. I-T officials were informed about it, after which their teams rushed to the spot and took out the bags from the vehicle. The bags had 52 kg gold and `9.86 crore cash,” Bhopal DCP Priyanka Shukla said.
According to I-T department sources, the seizure is perhaps the biggest one of unaccounted gold and cash from a single location in Madhya Pradesh.
