Rs 4.3 crore illegal cash seized: IT Dept

Bengaluru, 22 Apr 2018 [Fik/News Sources]: The Directorate of Income Tax (Investigation), Karnataka & Goa, has cracked down on unaccounted money being smuggled into Bengaluru and other districts to allegedly induce voters ahead of Assembly elections on May 12.

“Since the announcement of the single phase election date on March 27 the DGIT has seized Rs 4.13 crores of which, Rs 4.03 crores is in higher denomination currency of Rs 2,000 and Rs 500.  The highest cash seizure (election related) so far, of Rs 2.47 crores was made in Bengaluru city. Besides cash the Directorate has seized 4.52 kgs of gold jewellery worth around Rs 1.32 crore and household articles worth Rs 9.51 crores. In addition, Rs 55 lakh cash was seized from Ballari.None of the cash seized since the announcement of the election is accounted,” stated an official DGIT statement.

A person carrying Rs 16.5 lakh cash was intercepted at on one of the airports. “He could not explain the source of the cash. In a follow up action Rs 37 lakhs was subsequently seized from private premises in Mumbai premises. In total, unaccounted cash of Rs 53.50 lakhs was seized in one case,” it said.

In another instance a contractor was searched and the tax officials found that he had made payments to another person who in turn had withdrawn Rs 55 lakhs from the amount transferred. On questioning the contractor later admitted to concealment of Rs 16 crores. In another case cash of almost Rs 50 lakh was seized from a private person.

The DGIT has set up a 24x7 control room in Bengaluru to receive election-related complaints from general public and other agencies of Karnataka, and strike teams have been formed in all the districts to act upon any information received. “Intelligence gathering at various places of public transport and its air intelligence units has been beefed up at the railway stations, airports in Karnataka and Goa. The Directorate has also gathered details of all contract payments made in the last quarter of the completed financial year and is making a comparison with previous years for identifying the abnormal cases. This data is being co-related with all bank transactions and available cash withdrawal intelligence,” said the DGIT.

The Election Commission has appointed a number of election expenditure observers apart from other central observers to keep a check on black money and illegal inducements used to bribe voters.