In a significant pre-election crackdown, the Kolkata Police on Friday recovered Rs 25 lakh in cash from the boot of a vehicle near New Town in the northern outskirts of the city. The driver, identified as Suresh Thakur, was arrested after failing to provide a satisfactory explanation for the source of the money.
The recovery came as part of tightened security measures ahead of the Assembly elections, with police setting up “naka” check-posts at key junctions under the instructions of the new Commissioner of Kolkata Police. A senior city police official said Thakur was stopped at a naka near City Centre-II. On inspection, a bag in the car boot was found containing bundles of cash, all in Rs 500 denominations.
Thakur is currently being questioned about the ownership and intended use of the money. Authorities are investigating to determine who arranged the cash and who would have benefited from it. This incident marks the third major cash seizure in West Bengal in a single week, signaling heightened vigilance by law enforcement agencies amid the election season.
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Earlier, on March 19, police seized Rs 11.75 lakh at two locations: Baruipur in South 24 Parganas district and Alipurduar Chowpatty Crossing in Alipurduar district. Officials suspect that such cash is intended to influence voters illegally, prompting proactive measures by the authorities.
In response to the elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has appointed 294 general observers—one for each Assembly constituency in West Bengal, making it the only poll-bound state with full observer coverage. In addition, 188 police observers and 100 expenditure observers have been deployed, the highest and second-highest numbers respectively among the five poll-bound states and one union territory.
The Kolkata Police have emphasized that strict monitoring will continue across the state, with naka checks and enforcement operations aimed at curbing the circulation of illegal cash and ensuring free and fair elections.
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