Gaurav Gupta, a Delhi-based jeweller, committed suicide from the DRI office premises (Representational)
Highlights
- He was at DRI's office in connection with an alleged gold smuggling case
- 6kg foreign-marked gold, 213kg silver bullion seized from his residence
- 35 kg foreign-marked gold was found in one of his shops
A Delhi-based jeweller jumped to his death from the building of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence or DRI, where he had gone on Wednesday in connection with alleged gold smuggling, according to an official statement.
Around noon, Gaurav Gupta, 40, was waiting in the visitors' room inside the office at the CGO complex in central Delhi. According to DRI, he suddenly jumped out of the window of the room, which is on the sixth floor.
Officers, acting on a tip-off, had searched three of his properties on Monday. Around six kg of foreign-marked gold and 213 kg of silver bullion was seized from his home, the DRI statement said. In more searches yesterday, officers seized 35 kg more foreign-marked gold concealed in the door panel of a safe in one of his shops.
In all, officers picked up a haul worth Rs 13 crore, which included 41 kg of foreign-marked gold, 213 kg of silver bullion and Rs. 48 lakh cash.
"Unfortunately, the owner of the smuggled goods, who had visited the DRI office today, jumped through the window of the visitor's room at around 12 PM today," said the directorate's statement.
Gaurav Gupta was "neither summoned nor arrested", it asserted.
He was taken to the Safdarjung hospital by the officers of the DRI and the Central Industrial Security Force, but could not be saved.
Mr Gupta's wife Stuti Gupta has written to the police asking for action against DRI officials.