Over Rs 5.80 cr cash seized by police

: In yet another major cash seizure ahead of the December 7 assembly elections in Telangana,police Tuesday seized overRs 5.80 crore after busting a "hawala racket" in Warangal district and claimed that the amount was meant for delivery to some political leaders.

The amount of Rs 5.80 crore was recovered from a car during a check by police at Pembarti check post and three persons in the vehicle, including a man named Kirti Kumar Jain, who supplies cash through the hawala routewere arrested, Warangal Police Commissioner V Ravinder said.

While the Commissioner, quoting a preliminary probe, mentioned the names of some TDP and Congress candidates, the parties denied any involvement with the seizure.

In view of the elections, some people had contacted him (accused). During preliminary investigation it was found that Rs 1.55 crore was supposed to be handed over to Nama Nageshwar Rao (TDP's Khammam candidate), Rs two crore toV Ravichandra (Congress Warangal East) and Rs 2.3 crore to Konda Murali (husband of Konda Surekha, Congress candidate from Parkal), the Commissioner said.

Jain had left from Hyderabad along with the cash,he said.

Along with him, two more people, both drivers, were taken into custody, he added.

Reacting to the seizures, senior Congress leader and TPCC treasurer G Narayana Reddy said "the cash does not belong to us. Our party transfers the necessary amounts to contesting candidates through RTGS (Real Time Gross Settlement only."