EC seizes Rs 13 cr illegal cash in poll-bound states, TN tops

Election Commission (EC) appointed flying squads and surveillance teams have seized over Rs 13 crore 'illegal cash' in the five poll-bound states, with the maximum of Rs 7.87 crore recovered in Tamil Nadu.
Tamil Nadu is followed by Kerala where Rs 4.17 crore in cash has been recovered by the authorities so far.
In West Bengal, the figure stands at Rs 69.66 lakh while Rs 63.22 lakh has been seized in Assam. In Puducherry, Rs 20,400 illegal cash has been seized, EC data said.
In Murshidabad district of West Bengal, a patrol squad of the Central Reserve Police Force seized two dozen crude bombs and 37 bottles of illict liquor while a squad of Indo-Tibetan Border Police seized 10 kg of narcotics in the same district near National Highway no 34.

The model code of conduct came into force on March 4 when the Assembly polls were announced to the five states and soon afterward the special teams were deployed to curb the use of illegal inducements to voters.
Assembly elections in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and union territory of Puducherry will be held between April 4 and May 16, spread over 43 days.
The Commission, as part of its measures to curb black money in the polls, has deployed 'expenditure observers' drawn from central revenue services like the Income Tax and Customs and Excise departments.
EC, in order to keep a track of huge cash spent during the polls, has also asked the Central Board of Direct Taxes and the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), both agencies under the Union Finance Ministry, to keep a strict vigil on movement of unaccounted cash.