Tamil Nadu power utility hard‑drive theft case moved to Crime Branch‑CID

Authorities in Tamil Nadu have transferred the investigation of a theft involving 34 hard disks from the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) headquarters in Chennai to the Crime Branch‑Criminal Investigation Department (CB‑CID). The disks, which were stored in the IT section of the utility, were reported missing in mid‑May and are believed to have contained sensitive data on tenders, coal procurement and recruitment.

Police arrested Gopinath, a 31‑year‑old computer supervisor at TNEB, who allegedly stole the disks and sold them to a computer company in Bengaluru. A special team later detained Murali Manohar, the owner of that Bengaluru firm, and recovered all 34 disks. Both men have been remanded in judicial custody pending further interrogation. Opposition leaders have called for a CBI probe, suggesting the theft could be part of a larger effort to conceal information related to ongoing investigations into tender irregularities and a transformer‑procurement scam.

The state government’s decision to hand the case to CB‑CID follows recommendations from the Chennai police to intensify the inquiry and determine whether the theft was merely illegal disposal of government property or an attempt to tamper with critical data.