The Income Tax Department has reportedly recovered bundles of cash amounting ₹50 lakh hidden inside the spare tyre of a vehicle in poll-bound Jharkhand.
The recovery was made during a vehicle inspection at a checkpoint under the jurisdiction of the Deori Police station area, near the Jharkhand-Bihar border in Giridih district.
Officials have initiated an investigation has been launched to confirm the source and purpose of the money, NDTV reported.
Income Tax officials and security personnel are seen in a video removing stacks of cash from a tyre through a narrow cut. Four officials take turns reaching deep into the tyre to pull out 11 bundles of cash.
Nishikant Dubey, the Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Jharkhand’s Godda Constituency, shared the video on X (formerly Twitter) and accused the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and its ally Congress of “corruption” in the state.
“If you want to see corruption and piles of money, come to Jharkhand. Today, the income tax department and @ECISVEEP seized 50 lakhs from JMM to influence the elections in Giridih. Look at the Jugaad of Congress and JMM,” wrote Dubey on X.
The video was subsequently reshared by BJP Jharkhand’s state president, Babulal Marandi, who alleged that Congress and JMM are attempting to influence the election using “money power.”
The first phase of Jharkhand’s assembly elections, which began on Wednesday, saw a 64.86 percent voter turnout by 5 pm across 43 assembly constituencies, surpassing the 63.9 percent turnout recorded in the 2019 assembly elections.
The second phase will take place on November 20, with voting for 38 constituencies. The votes will be counted on November 23.
As per Election Commission of India, It has seized cash worth ₹10. 46 crore in Jharkhand while liquor worth ₹7.15 crore and drugs worth ₹8.99 crore has been seized.
The poll panel also also yielded precious petal worth ₹4.22 crore and freebies worth ₹127. 88 crore.
CEC Rajiv Kumar had earlier directed all officials on ‘zero tolerance’ of the Commission towards any kind of inducements in elections. He also asked for joint teams from multiple agencies for clampdown on distribution and movement of illicit liquor, drugs, freebies, and cash.
