18 hard disks with sensitive data stolen from TNEB headquarters in Chennai

CHENNAI: 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.The prime target seems 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 gone. The theft happened during the weekend (May16-17), when few staff were around, after new electricity minister R Nirmalkumar visited the department and warned that no wrong-doer would be spared. It, however, came to light around May 20 when employees from different sections found project files and official records had disappeared from their computer systems. System administrators then found the hard disks had been removed from the computers.Though at least 18 hard disks have been stolen, departmental complaints have been raised only in respect of eight. The finance and several other sections appeared unwilling to report the theft either to the chairman and MD or the vigilance chief of TNEB. No one vested with the responsibility of upkeep of the disks and the data is willing to approach 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 located on the fourth, fifth, seventh and 10th floors of the TNEB headquarters.The CCTV cameras in most of these sensitive sections were removed more than five years ago, and there were allegations that it was done to ensure there was no record of the brokers who visited to swing deals that resulted in irregularities in purchases and contracts. Though vigilance officials repeatedly recommended CCTV camera surveillance, the superintending engineer (buildings) objected on the ground that the cost was too high.The Chintadripet police have now 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.The theft coincides with the ongoing investigations into tender-related irregularities at Tangedco. Last week, Madras high court ordered a CBI investigation into an alleged 397-crore transformer procurement scam involving claims of cartelisation among bidders and inflated pricing. Central agencies, including Enforcement Directorate, are also examining financial transactions linked to electricity department tenders awarded between 2021 and 2023.