Cash worth Rs 1.09 cr seized in poll-bound Jharkhand

The police on Friday seized Rs 1.09 crore from two districts in poll-bound Jharkhand. During a vehicle checking drive ahead of the assembly elections, unaccounted cash worth Rs sixty lakh was seized from a vehicle at Satbarba area under the Daltonganj constituency in the Palamau district, a senior government official said.

Though the cash has been handed over to the income tax personnel for investigation, officials of a local post office have claimed that the vehicle and cash belonged to them, district returning officer-cum-deputy commissioner Shantanu Kumar Agrahari said. An FIR has been registered with Satbarba police station in connection with the seizure of unaccounted cash, he said.

In another case, the special task force (STF) of Dhanbad district police seized Rs 49 lakh from a car on Govindpur-Sahibganj road. The cash was seized after two occupants of the car failed to provide valid papers to establish the source of money, district returning officer-cum-deputy commissioner Amit Kumar said.

Prof Parmila Shah, a lecturer in Dumka College and A K Shah, a hotel owner, were on their way from Deoghar to Dhanbad, when the STF personnel intercepted their car at a place, about 35 km from Dhanbad town, under East Tundi police station, he said. The cash has been handed over to the income tax officials, the DC said, adding that "no connection with any political party" was found during the preliminary investigation. The elections to the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly will be held in five phases from November 30 and the counting will take place on December 23.