Lucknow, Mar 12 (IANS): Files related to audit of Shia-Sunni Waqf Board for the last five years have been stolen from Minority Welfare and Waqf Department, located in Bapu Bhawan in the state capital.

Waqf Board Section Officer Ram Bharat has lodged an FIR at the Hazratganj police station in this regard on Wednesday.

The theft of the files assumes significance in view of the fact that a CBI inquiry was recommended by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on the financial irregularities in both boards.

However, the CBI investigation are yet to begin.

The FIR mentions that the Minority Welfare and Waqf was also renovated by the Secretariat Administration Department and arrangements were made for the officers and personnel to sit in separate places.

For this, the files were shifted from the fourth floor of Bapu Bhavan to the eighth floor. Sources say that when the CBI recommendation about the irregularities in the Waqf Board was made, search began for some crucial letters which were found missing.

After this, there were instructions to file an FIR in this case.

Whether the disappearance of the audit files is a mere coincidence or is there conspiracy would have to be investigated by the police.

The Board's special audit of the last five years was marked on May 17, 2017, to the then reviewing officer Azim.

The file has since been missing.