Over Rs 9 cr of hawala money seized in Punjab

The Punjab Police Saturday claimed to have recovered Rs 9.66 crore of hawala money from six men, including a church priest.

The priest, Anthony, belongs to Diocese of Jalandhar, whose Bishop Franco Mulakkal is facing allegations of raping a nun.

"The money was without documents and evidence and we can say that it was unaccountable," Khanna Senior Superintendent of Police Dhruv Dahiya told reporters here.

However, Jalandhar Diocese spokesperson Peter Kavumpuram claimed that the cash, which was recovered by police, was not black money.

"There is nothing to hide. He has bills and everything which will be submitted (to the relevant authorities). It is not black money," the spokesperson claimed.

This was the highest amount of "unaccounted" cash which was recovered ever since the modal code of conduct came into force.

After recovery, police handed over the cash and the occupants to the Income Tax and the Enforcement Directorate officials for further investigation, police said.

The money was seized from the occupants of SUVs during checking near GT road Doraha Friday, Dahiya said, adding that police acted following a tip-off.

Police had a prior information about "black or hawala" money being carried in the vehicles from Jalandhar to Ambala side.

A team of Khanna police recovered the cash amount from three vehicles coming from Ludhiana side Friday during checking,Dahiya said.

Other occupants were identified as Rachpal Singh, a resident of Bhikhiwind Tarn Taran, Ravinder Lingayat, Shivangi Lingayat, residents of New Mumbai, Ashok Kumar, a resident of Bilaspur in Himachal Pradesh and Harpal Singh, a resident of Jalandhar, police said.