More than 20 hard disks containing tender-related digital records were reported missing from the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) headquarters on Anna Salai, Chennai, even as the CBI has registered a case over alleged irregularities in transformer procurement worth Rs 397 crore.
The complaint centres on purchases made between 2021 and 2023, when 45,800 transformers were procured. Allegations claim the equipment was bought at prices up to 50% higher than market rates, causing a loss to the utility. In one tender for 800 transformers of 500 kVA capacity, bidders had quoted Rs 13.72 lakh per unit, later reduced to Rs 12.49 lakh after negotiations, while the Government e-Marketplace listed a price of Rs 8.91 lakh.
The issue reached the Madras High Court through petitions filed by Arappor Iyakkam functionaries and the AIADMK. The court ordered a CBI probe, and the Supreme Court later dismissed appeals against that order, following which the CBI registered a case including former minister Senthil Balaji among those named.
Separately, an engineer identified as Malarvizhi noticed the missing hard disks on May 20 and informed superiors. An internal inquiry indicated the theft likely occurred over the May 16–17 weekend when staffing was minimal, and a police complaint was filed at Chintadripet station on June 1.
Police reviewed CCTV footage from multiple floors but found many cameras were non-functional. Investigators questioned computer maintenance staff and arrested Gopinath (31), a technician from a firm named Armtech Computers, who allegedly admitted to stealing the hard disks and selling them for money in Bengaluru. Meanwhile, Senthil Balaji issued a sudden statement saying attempts to “blow up” the issue would not succeed.
