At least 40 of the 102 canvas bags seized from a consignment being transported by angadias on Monday, were returned to traders after they provided valid documents on Wednesday.
The income-tax department's investigation wing released the bags comprising rough diamonds and jewellery to the angadias after they submitted documentary evidence of ownership. "We released the jewellery and diamonds as they are stock and trade for jewellery traders. Also, according to income tax laws, we can't seize stock and trade. We have therefore released this consignment after taking into account the traders' explanation and documentary proof. We will verify the explanation during our ongoing investigation," said a senior income tax official, reiterating that no cash was released. The 40 bags included four that contained miscellaneous articles like clothes, mobile phones and the like.
The decision to evaluate the consignment and release it to the traders at the earliest followed a meeting between the department and representatives of the gem and jewellery association and the diamond merchant association. The associations voiced concern that not releasing jewellery and rough diamonds was holding up trade. They further impressed upon the department that transporting jewellery was daily business for angadias.
Till evening, the I-T department had computed Rs 11 crore of cash from the canvas bags while around 40% of gems and jewellery were evaluated.
I-T director general (investigation) Swatantra Kumar said the holders of unaccounted cash will be penalized. "We have almost completed counting the cash, computation of the value of rough diamonds, gold and diamond jewellery should be over soon," Kumar said, adding no fake currency was found. "Some 10 odd people have given documents to support their claim over the seized jewellery. We are verifying their claims,'' said a senior I-T official.
Earlier in the day, over two dozen angadias gathered outside the I-T office to register their protest. They claimed the consignment was accounted for with proper bills.
The consignment, brought in four trucks to Mumbai Central station from where it was to be loaded in trains to Gujarat, was seized on Monday night. In an operation that lasted almost six hours, a joint team of the National Investigation Agency and the I-T department intercepted the trucks, being escorted by wireless vehicles from V P Road police station. The seizure followed a tip-off received by the NIA. The trucks were directed to Scindia House, Ballard Estate. Reserve Bank of India officials helped verify that all the currency notes were genuine.
Evan and Deborah Price did not know anything had been stolen from their Hastings home - until they saw Tuesday's Hawke's Bay Today.
Mr Price said his wife was reading the newspaper when she came across a familiar looking piece of jewellery on page three.
Curious to follow up on her hunch, she dug out a photo of her daughter wearing that same brooch - 20 years ago.
"Up to that stage we didn't know it was missing," Mr Price said.
With proof in hand, the husband and wife were able to get the brooch back from police.
The pin had been handed down through the women of the family, meaning it had come through Mrs Price's grandmother and mother, and then the jewellery found its way to their daughter.
The police had made an arrest and were appealing to the owner to claim it, which is how it came to be pictured in Tuesday's Hawke's Bay Today.
The pin was semi-precious, and had "more sentimental value than anything else", Mr Price said.
He wanted to praise the police and said it was incredible how quickly they had returned the jewellery to the family.
He was "not really fussed" about going to watch the youth's court appearance on July 9, because he considered the matter to be done and dusted.
A 17-year-old male has been arrested and charged in relation to a string of burglaries in Hastings and Havelock North.
A member of the public alerted police when they saw a youth trying to break into a car on Whitehead Rd, on June 26. The brooch was found in his backpack when police searched him. The youth also had knives in his possession.
Article Source: http://goarticles.com/article/A-Member-of-the-Public-Alerted-Police/7724806/
