Election department officials seize Rs 2 crore from vehicle in Puducherry

Election flying squad

officials seized Rs two crore cash being transported in a vehicle while set top boxes worth about Rs two crore were recovered from a house in poll-bound Puducherry.

Officials of the Flying Squad of Kadirkamam, Thattanchavady and Indira Nagar Assembly segments in the Puducherry region on Thursday intercepted a vehicle in Thanthai Periyar Nagar during a surprise check and seized the cash being transported in it.

Puducherry Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Shurbir Singh said in a release that though the people carrying the cash in the vehicle disclosed during enquiry that it was from a bank they could not present valid documents to show the destination it was being taken to.

He said suspicion arose that the cash was intended for "illegal distribution to the voters while the Model Code of Conduct for Assembly polls is in force."

Shurbir Singh said the cashwas in the denominations of Rs 500, Rs 200 and Rs 100, adding the vehicle in which it was being transported was a private van normally used by banks.

He said that the cash was handed over to the Income Tax department for further investigation.

The CEO also said in another instance the flying squad of Embalam, Nettapakkam and Bahoor segments in Puducherry region acted on a tip-off and seized around 30,000 set top boxes worth about Rs two croresfrom a house.

Also, over 3,600 litres of arrack kept in the backyard of an arrack shop in Karaikal were seized, taking the total quantity seized so far to 18,500 litres.