3 Biggest Scams of India

When we talk about scams, the first thing that pops up in most of our minds is ‘Scam 1992’, isn’t it? But is this all?

The answer is no. This is one of the scams that have earned its spotlight due to its adaptation in web series, but there are so many others which are not known to us unless we are a victim of one.

In the series of the blog “Uncovering the biggest scams of India”, I will bring to you every week a lucid and elaborate elucidation of one of the India’s biggest Scams. 

I hope that we all through these weekly blogs will learn about the less known but significant and biggest scams of India.

We will begin, from what I researched, India’s first ever scam and biggest controversial cover-up.

Source - m.media-amazon.com

INA Treasure Controversy

First ever scam of Independent India, is still one of the most debatable controversies of the nation.

The research is aided by the ‘Netaji Files Declassified’ that you guys can extract from the website ‘National Archives of India’. These documents are related to Netaji, and were announced to be made public by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on 14th October 2015.

Netaji’s Alleged Death Or Disappearance

It all started from the mysterious plane crash at Taihoku on 18th August 1945, during which the alleged death of Netaji occurred and this mystery has still not been solved and the matter has been raised to be enquired again at various instances but center has always denied the reinvestigation of the case to be necessary.

Within this mystery lies another mystery and that is the INA (Azad Hind Fauj) Treasure’s misappropriation that Netaji carried with him during his journey in which he allegedly died.

Netaji has collected this treasure from the public as he didn’t want to depend on Japan for India’s finance during World War II.

This INA Treasure weighed around 70-90 kg (gold) packed in 4 iron boxes and Netaji carried these 4 boxes with him at the start of the journey from Bangkok but later at Saigon he had to let go of 2 boxes i.e. 38 kg of gold and later when the plane crashed at Taihoku, Formosa (then occupied by Japan, now comes under Taiwan), the Japanese army collected the charred jewelry that has reduced to 16 kg due to the crash and sent it headquarters at Tokyo of Indian Independence League ( dissolved in Azad Hind Fauj under Netaji’s leadership).

Misappropriation of INA Treasure

After 8 years of the plane crash i.e. in November 1952 the collected charred treasure came back to India and it weighed around 11 kg against the collected 16 kg. This 11 kg of gold is now displayed at National Museum Vault at New Delhi.

Now the question arises where the remaining 5 kg of treasure is? And where are the other 2 boxes that Netaji left at Saigon? 

There have been various speculations to the whole situation. It was believed that the misappropriation was done by two aides of Netaji i.e. S A Ayer and Munga Ramamurti. The scam was first ever accounted by Anuj Dhar in his book “India’s biggest cover-up”.

But the declassified documents of 2015 makes the suspicions that the INA Treasure was actually looted even more clear.

Now you may wonder what the proof of the alleged misappropriation was. So let us throw light on them:

Ayer and Ramamurti, the two ex-aides on 7th September 1945 have been handed over 2 boxes, one small containing Netaji’s ashes and the big box containing INA Treasure. What happened with that box is the real mystery and is still unsolved. 

The Japanese officer Mr. Takakura, who handed over the boxes, has stated that there were 3 boxes (1 small and 2 big boxes), but due to lack of proper evidence he cannot prove it and here lies another ambiguity. Maybe among the 2 big boxes one contains the gold left at Saigon!

KK Chettur, the head of the Indian Liaison Mission at Tokyo has revealed his suspicions in his secret telegrams to the central government on the activities of the two ex-aides of Netaji. 

Ramamurti who has stayed in Japan had been leading a luxurious life driving in his 2 sedans in Japan, while even the most affluent people of Japan have been hit financially due to the aftermath of the World War. 

This has been the headlines of the Japanese media from time to time and even Chettur has informed this to the center in his secret telegram but they paid no heed to it.

Then S A Ayer have visited Japan in 1951, stating the reason to be official work but when Chettur enquired the center they denied of any official work assigned to Ayer and stated that his visit is just a holiday.

Even after continuous concerns rose by Chettur to the center no action has been taken by them and Chettur remained suspicious of Ayer’s activities. And both the ex-aides have flourished despite their suspicious activities.

Later on 20th October on PM’s instructions INA Treasure of 11 kg has been procured from Ramamurti. But Chettur did inform the center in telegram that what has been retrieved by the two aides was substantially more than what is in our possession now.

What happened to the two boxes left at Saigon before the ill-fated plane crash and the 5 kg gold that didn’t return to India is still unknown. 

This was the reality of the first ever scam of Independent India, completely overlooked by the center and the uninterested media and even after decades still lies unresolved. 

So readers, this was the first ever scam in the list of India’s Biggest Scams. We shall meet next week to discuss yet another interesting treatise on India’s Biggest Scams.

Written By - Priyal Sharma

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