Gold-stealing colonel offered jawans bribes for their silence

Eight jawans from the Aizawl-based 39th battalion of Assam Rifles who had been involved in a highway gold robbery, told police interrogators that their now suspended commanding officer, Col Jasjit Singh, had offered each one a bribe of Rs 70,000 to 1 lakh to keep silent about the theft.

Mizoram director-general of police Lalthianghlima Pachuau said the jawans had confessed to the robbery and told the police that they had given the gold bars to Col Singh on 15 December. "During the investigation, the security personnel said they were offered bribes by Singh to remain silent in the case," he said.

Col Singh and eight jawans had been arrested in Aizawl on 6 May for allegedly stealing a consignment of smuggled gold bars on the Aizawl-Lunglei highway on 14 December last year.

An Aizawl court has sent Col Singh to police custody for 42 hours, according to The Telegraph.

The robbery involving Army personnel was brought to the attention of the police by the driver of the truck carrying the smuggled gold. Aizawl resident Lalnunfela filed an FIR on 21 April, stating that he was returning from Zokhawthar, a village along the Indo-Myanmar border, when his vehicle was waylaid by a group of armed Assam Rifles personnel who stole 52 gold biscuits worth Rs 14.5 crore from his vehicle.

On 14 December, the day of the theft, Col Singh was in Masimpur, 8 km from Aizawl, attending a conference. He returned on the morning of 15 December.

Lalfunela, smuggler of the gold, is likely to be arrested after the recovery of the stolen gold.