Pune Police Seize Rs 5 Crore Cash from Car at Khed Shivapur Toll Plaza
Pune: Pune Police officials seized Rs 5 crore in cash from a car at the Khed Shivapur toll plaza on the Mumbai-Bangalore bypass on Monday evening, October 21, just ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly elections.
Acting on a tip-off, the police intercepted the suspicious vehicle at the toll plaza, uncovering a large amount of cash inside. The discovery has raised concerns about its potential use in influencing the upcoming elections.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) had announced the assembly election dates on October 15, after which a Model Code of Conduct was enforced. Since then, law enforcement agencies have been actively conducting vehicle checks to prevent illegal activities that could impact the electoral process.
“Pune Rural Police seized cash at Khed Shivapur toll booth during a Nakabandi late evening on 21st October. Officials of the Election Commission and Income Tax department are present at Rajgad police station for investigation. The cash could be in crores, with counting still underway,” said Pune Rural Police SP Pankaj Deshmukh, as reported by news agency ANI.
At approximately 8 PM, police stopped a white car at the toll plaza and discovered Rs 5 crore in cash. The driver of the vehicle was taken into custody, though the source and intended destination of the money remain unclear. The investigation is ongoing, with officials from the Election Commission and Income Tax department involved in the case.