The Election Commission’s flying squads and surveillance teams have seized over Rs 32 crores in “illegal cash” ahead of the Assembly elections.
The Election Commission’s flying squads and surveillance teams have seized over Rs 32 crores in “illegal cash” ahead of the Assembly elections. Tamil Nadu leads the pack, with the maximum confiscated — Rs 15.19 crores, followed by West Bengal (Rs 5.64 crores), Assam (Rs 5.43 crores) and Kerala (Rs 5.27 crores). In Puducherry, around Rs 30 lakhs has been seized.
The seizures were made by special EC-appointed teams and those of the income-tax department. These have been deployed soon after the model code of conduct came into force with the announcement of the poll schedule.
The EC has deployed “expenditure observers” from Central revenue services like income-tax and customs and excise departments. It has also asked the Central Board of Direct Taxes and the Financial Intelligence Unit of the finance ministry to keep a strict watch on the movement of unaccounted cash.
