Finance Sec Adhia Received Gold as Gift, Failed to Probe: Report

Hasmukh Adhia said he deposited the gifts to toshakhana but did not order a probe to identify “mystery gift giver”.

File photo of Finance Secretary Hasmukh Adhia.

(Photo: PTI)

Union Finance Secretary Hasmukh Adhia reportedly received two gold biscuits weighing 20 grams each, from a "mystery giver" during Diwali in 2016 but did not seek an investigation to identify the individual, reported The Wire.

The gold biscuits valued at around Rs 2 lakh were "gifted" to Adhia when he was holding the office of revenue secretary, even after two years being passed, neither the giver nor the motive of the individual have been investigated, The Wire reported. According to the article, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley too did not seek a probe.

Adhia reportedly confirmed to the news website that gold was sent to his residence located in New Moti Bagh in New Delhi, however, added he was not present at his residence when the gift was delivered.

Adhia also claimed to have deposited the gold bars at the government’s Toshakhana - which is a facility run by the Ministry of External Affairs where the gifts received by bureaucrats and ministers, those which exceeds a certain value, should be deposited.

When asked why he did not order a probe, Adhia told The Wire:

The important thing is that I did not accept the gift. Such things are common during Diwali, and things like sweets we do not refuse out of courtesy, but then how many officials would have done what I did and send the gift to the Toshakhana?

However, when asked by the news website if he received an expensive gift from the fugitive billionaire Nirav Modi in 2016 and sent it to the Toshakhana, Adhia reportedly denied stating, "I have received no such gift. Period".

The Wire, in its report, said that it had sent an email to Adhia asking if he had submitted “five gold bars” to the Toshakhana and why his office did not mention the name of the sender.

According the report, Adhia responded with the following statement:

“I, therefore, want to surrender these gifts to the Government which can be deposited in the Toshakhana for disposal through auction or as per rules. The list of items being surrendered is as follows:

1. One new IPhone 7

2. Two gold biscuits of twenty gram each (MMTC mark)”

While the report stated that the online registry of Toshakhana did not show an entry against Adhia's name, the finance secretary reportedly claimed that he had a receipt dated 07-11-2016 for the same.

(With inputs from The Wire)