Rs 64 lakh unaccounted cash seized in TN

Erode/Tirunelveli (TN), Mar 11: Unaccounted cash to the tune of Rs 64 lakh was seized in two different places during intensified vehicle checks in poll-bound Tamil Nadu today, officials said.

While Rs 40 lakh was seized from a car in Erode, officials recovered Rs 24 lakh from a stationary car in Tirunelveli District as election authorities intensified inspections of vehicles to prevent distribution of money and gifts to woo the voters.

In another haul in Erode district, officials seized 12 kg of silver bars being carried in a car without proper documents.

This is the second major haul of unaccounted cash in the state after the announcement of assembly elections, slated for April 13. Police had yesterday seized Rs 50 lakh unaccounted cash from a car near Perundurai in Erode District.

Officials have cautioned those carrying huge cash to keep supporting documents to prove their bonafide.

Erode Collector T. Soundiah, who is also the District Election Officer, said flying squads comprising Revenue and Police personnel today found Rs 40 lakh cash when they intercepted a car coming from Pallipalayam to Erode. The two occupants of the car could not provide any document to account for the money.

Similarly, at Vijayamangalam check-post located on Salem-Coimbatore National Highway, the squad seized 12 kg of silver bar from a car coming from Coimbatore after the two occupants failed to produce any document for carrying the same. Both the cash and silver bars had been kept in police custody.

In Tirunelveli district, police seized Rs 24 lakh cash from a stationary car when four occupants, all hailing from Kanyakumari, were counting the currency with the vehicle windows raised at Radhapuram.

Since the four were unable to provide satisfactory answer for possessing the cash, it had been seized and kept under police custody pending investigation to ascertain whether the money was intended for use during elections, police said.

PTI