The Income Tax (IT) department has seized 52 kilograms of gold worth around Rs 40.47 crore and Rs.10 crore in cash from an abandoned car found in the dense Mendori forests near Bhopal during the intervening night of Thursday and Friday.
Notably, the seizure occurred just hours after the Lokayukta raided the residence of former RTO constable Saurabh Sharma and his associate, Chandan Singh Gaur, in Arera Colony on Thursday morning. During the raid, Lokayukta officials recovered Rs 2.5 crore in cash along with gold and silver jewellery.
Sharma, who took voluntary retirement from the transport department last year, is reportedly active in the real estate business.
The seized gold and cash are suspected to be linked to a close aide of Saurabh Sharma.
A white Innova Crysta (MP 07 BA 0050) was discovered stranded in an under-construction building in the Mendori jungle during the intervening night of Thursday and Friday. Reports indicate that the vehicle is registered to Chetan Gaur, who is under the Income Tax Department’s radar. Additionally, the car reportedly had a red plate with “RTO” displayed on its bumper.
Gold bricks weighing 52 kilograms and bags filled with cash in Rs 100 and Rs 500 denominations, amounting to Rs 10 crore, were seized from the car.
According to reports, the gold and cash were allegedly being transported out of the state when the IT department intercepted them. The operation to seize the gold involved over 100 police personnel and a convoy of 30 vehicles..
A senior officer involved in the operation stated, as per media reports, “We received input from an unknown source that a vehicle was en route, carrying large amounts of cash and gold. Acting on the tip-off, we reached the location.” The officer added that the team recovered six to seven bags from the abandoned car in the Mendori jungle. The bags were filled with gold bricks and cash, with an estimated Rs.10 crore in cash recovered.