Ahmedabad: Two panch witnesses, who were summoned during a raid by CID on an angadia office on CG Road on May 9, are accused of stealing a 100g gold bar worth Rs 7 lakh, as per an FIR filed by a CID officer.
**CID Raid and Discovery**
Inspector Darshan Barad of the NDPS cell of CID Ahmedabad zone stated in his FIR that the CID team raided the PM Angadia office at Iscon Arcade on CG Road in Navrangpura on May 9. The raid was conducted due to suspicions of the angadia firm being involved in illicit financial activities. During the raid, police discovered Rs 73.56 lakh in cash and 10 gold bars, each weighing 100g.
**Subsequent Events**
After the raid, the income tax department also carried out searches at the office on May 10. The seized valuables, including the gold bars, were stored in a locker, and income tax officers were duly informed. However, on May 11, income tax officers informed Barad that one of the gold bars was missing. Following this revelation, the manager of PM Angadia, Rajan Dave, was notified.
**Culprit Uncovered**
It wasn’t until May 16 that Barad reviewed the CCTV footage and identified the two panch witnesses, Sumit Soni and Arvind Gohil from Dariapur, as the perpetrators who stole the gold bar. The footage revealed that Soni clandestinely handed over the gold bar to Gohil during the raid. Consequently, Barad lodged a complaint against Soni and Gohil for theft, breach of trust, and abetment, with an assigned PSI taking charge of the investigation.
**Additional Insight:**
In cases of financial irregularities and theft, investigations are crucial to ensure accountability and prevent similar incidents in the future. The involvement of government witnesses in such criminal activities raises questions about the integrity and trustworthiness of individuals serving as panch witnesses. It underscores the importance of thorough background checks and monitoring of all parties involved in legal proceedings to uphold the principles of justice and fairness. Such incidents also highlight the need for enhanced security measures during raids and the storage of seized valuables to prevent unauthorized access and theft.
