Election monitoring officials in Pollachi have seized over ₹42 lakhs cash in a single day from vehicles without proper documents, including a significant find in a routine vehicle inspection at Gopalapuram checkpoint.
Coimbatore: In a significant crackdown on illicit cash flow amidst election season, election monitoring officials have seized a total of ₹42,26,900 cash in the Pollachi region. This substantial sum was recovered in various operations conducted in just one day, highlighting the vigilance of the election surveillance teams.
The operation's major haul occurred near Gopalapuram, where officials engaged in a routine vehicle inspection intercepted an Eicher truck. Upon inspection, the officials discovered bundles of cash stashed in bags within the vehicle. The driver and the accountant, identified as Ashok Kumar and driver Karikalan, respectively, claimed that the money was from the sale of lemons in Kerala, sourced from the Trichy district.
However, due to the lack of proper documentation for the cash, officials seized ₹30 lakhs from this vehicle alone and handed it over to Assistant Electoral Officer (Sub Collector) Kranthi Kumar Pati. Under the guidelines set by the Election Commission, any amount exceeding ₹10 lakhs found without adequate accounting is to be transferred to the Income Tax Department for further investigation. Accordingly, this case, along with others resulting in the day's total seizure of over ₹42 lakhs, has been forwarded to the tax authorities.
This crackdown is part of a broader effort to ensure a fair and transparent election process by monitoring and controlling the flow of unaccounted money, which could potentially influence the electoral outcome. The Election Commission's directive to scrutinize large cash transactions during the election period has led to increased vigilance across the region, with significant amounts being seized and investigated to uphold the integrity of the electoral process.