Seizures of over Rs 120 cr made in Karnataka, says official

The Election Commission-appointed surveillance teams have seized suspect cash, jewellery and other inducements worth over Rs 120 crore in the poll-bound Karnataka, a senior official said today.

Cash amounting to over Rs 67.27 crore, over five lakh litres of liquor worth Rs 23.36 crore, gold valued at 43.17 crore and other items such as pressure cookers, sarees, sewing machines, gutkha, laptops and vehicles, among others, worth about Rs 18.57 crore, have been seized, he said.

The official said Rs 32.54 crore in cash, out of the total seizures of Rs 152.78 crore, has been released after verification.

The figure also includes seized narcotics worth more than Rs 39.80 lakh, according to official data since the declaration of the elections for the Karnataka Assembly.

The seizures have been made by various surveillance, police and Income Tax department teams that have been deployed in the state by the poll panel to check the use of black money and illegal inducements, the official said.

The state will go to polls on May 12. The counting of votes is scheduled for May 15.