A round-the-clock control room and Complaint Monitoring Cell have been set up to receive complaints from the general public.
Published Oct 26, 2023 | 9:32 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 26, 2023 | 9:33 PM
Unaccounted-for cash, valuables, food items, and narcotics worth ₹347 crore were seized in the 17 days since the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) was enforced in Telangana as the police busted a hawala racket in the process, said the office of the state’s chief electoral officer (CEO) on Thursday, 26 October.
The highest value of the seized items is unaccounted-for “precious metals” worth ₹156.22 crore, followed by cash worth ₹122.62 crore.
The precious metals and materials include over 230.90 kg of gold, 1,038.52 kg of silver, diamonds weighing 19,071.25 carats, and platinum of 5.35 grams.
The police and election officials confiscated liquor and related items worth ₹20.70 crore. It comprises 72,302 litres of liquor, over 18,874 kg of black jaggery, and 655 kg of alum.
A total of 3,460.795 kg of cannabis and other drugs worth ₹17.18 crore has also been impounded by the officials, the CEO’s office said.
Freebies such as vehicles, home equipment, clothes, and cash, which were apparently meant to be distributed by political leaders and their aides worth an estimated ₹28.91 crore have also been seized.
These include 1.56 lakh kgs of rice, 53,287 sarees, 9,570 wall clocks, sewing machines, pressure cookers, and even a car.
Meanwhile, the Congress has filed a complaint against the police to Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar regarding the poll-related checks. The party claimed that these checks were inconveniencing the general public.
The Hyderabad police said their Commissioner’s Task Force Central Zone Team, arrested two individuals and seized ₹10 lakh in an operation aimed at cracking down on a hawala money-transfer racket.
The arrests took place on the night of 25 October, near Chirag Ali Lane in Abids in Hyderabad while the police were conducting regular searches under the MCC.
While checking, the cops came across two individuals — Manprith Singh (38) from Amberpet and Shaik Arshad (22) from Asif Nagar — who raised their suspicion.
The two were unable to provide an account for the cash they were carrying and also failed to produce any valid documentation, the police said.
The cops said Singh eventually revealed that while running a scrap business, he had established connections with hawala agents and was secretly operating an illegal hawala business. This operation involved supplying money to hawala brokers in major cities.
The individuals communicated through coded messages and WhatsApp to evade income-tax scrutiny and earn commissions on illicit money transfers.
The Income Tax (I-T) Department has formed Quick Response Teams (QRTs) in all 33 districts in Telangana and deployed 150 officers for election duty.
It said a round-the-clock control room and Complaint Monitoring Cell had been set up to receive information or complaints from the general public regarding cash and other items intended for illegitimate use in the election process.
The Complaint Monitoring Cell can be contacted at:
- Toll-free number — 1800-425-1785,
- Landline 040-23426201, 23426202,
- WhatsApp, Telegram – 7013711399,
- e-mail: cleantelanganaelections@incometax.gov.in
Furthermore, Air Intelligence Units (AIU) have been set up at Begumpet Airport and Rajiv Gandhi International Airport for 24×7 surveillance in coordination with the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) on the movement of cash or valuables.
The AIUs at all other airports in India that have connectivity to Hyderabad have also been informed to be continuously alert on passengers travelling to the Telangana capital.
The Election Seizure Management System (ESMS) app is being used for the first time by ECI in this election for verification of seizure reports.
