Chennai: Two individuals have been arrested in connection with the theft of hard disks from the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) headquarters, with a total of 34 hard disks recovered from them, police confirmed on Friday. The arrests and recoveries come two days after a Times of India expose revealed the theft of disks containing data related to ongoing investigations, coal purchases, transformer acquisitions, taxation, GST, and material management sections. Although the theft occurred in mid-May, it only came to light two days ago.
Details of the Arrests
On Friday, police disclosed that the arrested individuals admitted to stealing the hard disks from the 10-storey building, erasing the stored data, and selling the devices in Bengaluru. The suspects were identified as Gopinath, 31, from Valarpuram near Arakonam in Ranipet district, and Murali Manohar, 33, from Bengaluru. Investigators identified Gopinath as the facilitator who removed the hard disks from the TNEB headquarters, while Murali Manohar acted as the receiver who purchased them.
How the Theft Occurred
According to police, Gopinath stole 34 hard disks from the TNEB headquarters on May 16 and 17. He then stored the devices at his residence, where he formatted them and deleted all data before transporting them to Bengaluru. Police reported that each hard disk, valued at approximately ₹20,000, was sold for just ₹2,500 apiece.
The theft came to light on May 18 when TNEB staff noticed the missing hard disks and alerted system engineers and maintenance officials. The matter was subsequently referred to the vigilance wing of the electricity board for inquiry.
Police Investigation
Additional Director General of Police Ayush Mani Tiwari, who heads the TNEB Vigilance Unit, conducted a preliminary inquiry before lodging a formal complaint with the Chintadripet police. Based on the complaint, police registered a case under Section 305 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and launched an investigation. A special team led by Triplicane Deputy Commissioner of Police V Jayachandran tracked the suspects and apprehended Gopinath and Murali Manohar from locations in Arakonam and Bengaluru.
Police seized Gopinath’s laptop and pen drives for forensic examination. Investigators stated that Murali Manohar purchased the stolen hard disks from Gopinath and are examining his role in the disposal of the devices.
Potential Wider Involvement
Investigators are also examining the possible involvement of individuals linked to procurement and tender-related activities connected to the electricity board. Police have collected details of contractors and others associated with purchases made by TNEB and are scrutinizing their communications with the accused.
Cyber experts assisting the investigation noted that government data is generally stored in secure data centers connected through the National Informatics Centre infrastructure. Investigators are assessing whether any information can be retrieved through digital forensic analysis and whether any sensitive data was compromised.
Next Steps
Police are considering transferring the case to the Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department (CB-CID), as the investigation has extended beyond Tamil Nadu and involves suspects from multiple locations.
Meanwhile, Gopinath was produced before the XIV Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Egmore and was remanded in judicial custody. Murali Manohar was also taken into custody. Further investigation is ongoing.
