In a brazen act of sabotage, at least 18 hard disks containing confidential data, particularly records related to tenders, purchases, and ongoing investigations, have been stolen from the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) headquarters on Anna Salai in Chennai.
Coal Purchase Details Targeted
The prime target appears to be the coal purchase details under the custody of the material management departments. While hard copies are available, all the key soft copies are now missing. The theft occurred during the weekend of May 16-17, when few staff members were present. This happened shortly after the new electricity minister, R. Nirmalkumar, visited the department and warned that no wrongdoer would be spared.
The theft came to light around May 20 when employees from different sections discovered that project files and official records had disappeared from their computer systems. System administrators then found that the hard disks had been physically removed from the computers.
Limited Complaints Filed
Although at least 18 hard disks were stolen, departmental complaints have been filed only for eight of them. The finance and several other sections appeared unwilling to report the theft to the TNEB chairman and managing director or the vigilance chief. No one responsible for the upkeep of the disks and data is willing to approach the police with a complaint. Officials from departments handling tenders, purchases, and administrative functions reported losses. Eight assistant engineers, assistant executive engineers, and section officers submitted complaints to senior TNEB authorities.
The complaints were initially referred to the TNEB vigilance wing, headed by additional director general of police Ayush Mani Tiwari. A special team was formed to trace the disks, which were stolen from offices on the fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth floors of the TNEB headquarters.
CCTV Cameras Removed Years Ago
The CCTV cameras in most of these sensitive sections were removed more than five years ago. There are allegations that this was done to ensure no record existed of brokers who visited to swing deals, resulting in irregularities in purchases and contracts. Although vigilance officials repeatedly recommended CCTV camera surveillance, the superintending engineer (buildings) objected on the grounds that the cost was too high.
Police Investigation Underway
The Chintadripet police have registered a case under Section 305 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. A police team led by Triplicane deputy commissioner of police D. Jayachandran has begun an investigation.
Coinciding with Tender Irregularity Probes
The theft coincides with ongoing investigations into tender-related irregularities at Tangedco. Last week, the Madras High Court ordered a CBI investigation into an alleged Rs 397-crore transformer procurement scam involving claims of cartelisation among bidders and inflated pricing. Central agencies, including the Enforcement Directorate, are also examining financial transactions linked to electricity department tenders awarded between 2021 and 2023.
