Savukku Shankar on Thursday alleged that the reported theft of hard disks from the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) office was carried out to protect former minister Senthil Balaji. Speaking to reporters in Chennai, he said “many developments” were unfolding in the case of 18 missing hard disks without the public being aware.
He pointed to the Madras High Court’s direction for a CBI inquiry into the transformer procurement matter, arguing that the government has a duty to preserve and provide evidence for such investigations. Shankar said the hard disks were reported missing on May 20, but a complaint was filed only on June 1, and questioned the reason for the delay.
Shankar also alleged that the matter was not being handled with the seriousness it warranted, noting that the complaint was lodged at the Chintadripet police station instead of being investigated by the Crime Branch. He further claimed that even a hard disk from the office of the TNEB vigilance wing—headed by an officer of additional DGP rank—was missing.
Citing earlier instances where, he claimed, evidence was suppressed in high-profile corruption cases, Shankar argued that digital storage devices can contain crucial records. He said reports had emerged that the missing hard disks were recovered in Bengaluru, and insisted that what mattered was the data inside them.
Calling the hard disks “key evidence”, Shankar demanded that the CBI investigate the theft as well. He claimed the devices could contain information on alleged irregularities in the power utility over the past five years and said the government must ensure such evidence is safeguarded for the court-ordered probe.
