Two persons have been arrested in connection with the theft of hard disks from the headquarters of the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB), and police have recovered 34 hard disks from the accused. The arrests and recoveries come days after the theft of the storage devices, which reportedly contained data related to ongoing investigations, coal procurement, transformer purchases, taxation, GST matters, and material management operations, came to light.
Although the theft allegedly took place in mid-May, the incident was discovered only on 18 May 2026 when TNEB staff noticed that several hard disks were missing from the utility’s 10-storey headquarters building.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Gopinath, 31, from Valarpuram near Arakonam in Ranipet district, and Murali Manohar, 33, a resident of Bengaluru. According to investigators, Gopinath allegedly removed the hard disks from the TNEB headquarters, while Murali Manohar is believed to have received and purchased the stolen devices.
Police said Gopinath stole a total of 34 hard disks on May 16 and 17. After taking the devices from the premises, he allegedly stored them at his residence, where he formatted the hard disks and erased the stored data before transporting them to Bengaluru. Investigators stated that the hard disks, each valued at approximately ₹20,000, were later sold for just ₹2,500 apiece.
Following the discovery of the theft, TNEB officials informed system engineers and maintenance personnel, after which the matter was referred to the electricity board’s vigilance wing for inquiry. Additional Director General of Police Ayush Mani Tiwari, who heads the TNEB Vigilance Unit, conducted a preliminary investigation before a formal complaint was lodged with the Chintadripet police.
Based on the complaint, police registered a case under Section 305 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and launched a detailed investigation. A special team headed by Triplicane Deputy Commissioner of Police V. Jayachandran subsequently tracked the suspects and arrested Gopinath and Murali Manohar from locations in Arakonam and Bengaluru.
During the investigation, police seized a laptop and several pen drives belonging to Gopinath for forensic examination. Investigators said they are also examining Murali Manohar’s role in the disposal and handling of the stolen devices after he allegedly purchased them from Gopinath.
The investigation has now widened beyond the immediate theft. Police are probing the possible involvement of individuals linked to procurement and tender-related activities associated with the electricity board. Details of contractors and others connected to TNEB purchases have been collected, and investigators are scrutinising their communications with the accused.
Cyber forensic experts assisting the probe noted that government data is generally stored in secured data centres connected through the National Informatics Centre (NIC) infrastructure. Authorities are assessing whether any information can be recovered through digital forensic techniques and whether any sensitive data may have been compromised despite the alleged formatting of the hard disks.
Given that the investigation now spans multiple locations outside Tamil Nadu, police are considering transferring the case to the Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department (CB-CID).
Gopinath was produced before the XIV Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Egmore and remanded to judicial custody. Murali Manohar was also taken into custody. Further investigation is underway.
Subscribe to our channels on WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram and YouTube to get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.
