The Income Tax (IT) and police on Friday seized 52 kg of gold bars worth Rs 40 crore and more than Rs 10 crore in cash from an abandoned SUV in Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal. The seizure was done in two different raids conducted by the police and IT teams. They received a tip-off on Thursday night that an abandoned vehicle was standing unclaimed on Kushalpura Road with bags kept inside it.
DCP Priyanka Shukla's statement
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Priyanka Shukla said, "A person informed Ratibad police station that an Innova Crysta was standing unclaimed on the Kushalpura road for a long time and about seven to eight bags were inside the vehicle, following which a police team reached the spot." Police suspect that someone might have left the bags due to the ongoing raids and actions by Lokayukta and IT departments in the city. "We informed the IT department, and they broke the SUV's windows and seized 52 kg gold bars and a huge amount of cash from it," DCP added.
Director General Income Tax (Investigation) Satish K Goyal said that their team investigated based on the tip of an unclaimed car parked in the forest area of Bhopal. The IT officials searched the vehicle and recovered 52 kg gold bars worth Rs 40 crore and an additional Rs 10 crore cash from it. The total seizure was valued at Rs 52 crore. "It is not yet clear to whom this cash and gold belongs, and we are investigating the matter further," Goyal told the media.
IT department conducted raids at 51 locations
Two days ago, the Income Tax Department had raided as many as 51 locations of a construction company in Bhopal and Indore. Gold and cash were recovered from a white Toyota car. This car is from Gwalior and was purchased in 2020.
