Record Rs 800 cr worth of cash, liquor seized in Rajasthan ahead of polls

Over 800 crore worth of cash, liquor, precious metals and other suspected inducements were seized by different enforcement agencies in Rajasthan ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

According to the data released by the Election Commission, Rajasthan ranks first in the country in terms of seizure of inducements.

State Chief Electoral Officer Praveen Gupta said that a record Rs 812.77 crore worth of seizures have been made since March 1.

These include cash worth Rs 36.79 crore, liquor worth Rs 41.71 crore, drugs worth Rs 121.79 crore, gold and silver including other precious metals worth Rs 49.21 crore, freebies worth more than Rs 563 crore and other suspicious items.

Seizures worth more than Rs 20 crore each were made in 20 districts of the state.
 

Gupta said that the value of goods and cash seized since March 16, after the implementation of the Model Code of Conduct for the Lok Sabha general elections, is more than Rs 712 crore.

The total value of seized inducements was Rs 51.42 crore during the entire period of the Model Code of Conduct during the Lok Sabha General Elections 2019.

He said that this time this figure has crossed Rs 700 crore even before the first phase of voting.

Earlier in the day, the Election Commission said authorities under its supervision have made seizure worth Rs 4,650 crore, including drugs worth Rs 2069 crore, in the country in the run up to the Lok Sabha elections.

The poll panel said the seizures made since March 1 exceed the over Rs 3,475 crore recovered during the 2019 parliamentary polls.

The seven phased Lok Sabha polls were announced on March 16. The first phase is on April 19 and the last one on June 1.