Polls: President's son issued notice over seizure of Rs 1-cr

President Pratibha Patil's son and Congress MLA Raosaheb Shekhawat was issued a notice by the district collector among other office-bearers in connection with the seizure of Rs 1 crore in cash last week.

"I issued notices to minister of state Rajendra Mulak, MPCC general secretary Ganesh Patil, MLA Raosaheb Shekhawat, city Congress chief Vasantrao Saurkar and Mulak's PA Ashish Bodhankar on Wednesday and set the hearing for February 21 as their counsels sought five days time," District Collector Rahul Mahiwal told PTI today.

Taking serious cognisance of the incident, the Election Commission had directed the district collector and municipal commissioner to file a report about the incident.

Denying allegations that the seized cash was unaccounted, Shekhawat had claimed that the amount was indeed intended to be distributed among financially weak candidates contesting the civic poll here.

Polling for ten civic bodies, including Amravati, across Maharashtra is underway.

"I had sought funds from the state Congress Committee for distributing them among 87 party candidates as most of them are women and poor. Accordingly, Rs 1 crore was sent to me which was to be distributed at Rs 1 lakh per candidate and the rest (of the money) was meant for the district Congress committee," Shekhawat had told PTI.

City Police on Sunday seized the cash which was being transported in the city from Nagpur in a car and arrested two persons in this connection.

Meanwhile, BJP yesterday filed an intervention petition in the district court over the seizure.

BJP city president Pradeep Shingore said the seized money was unaccounted and Congress was trying to give an impression that it was a legal transaction as it was "caught in the act".

"Congress wins elections with money and then further indulges in corruption to recoup that money," Shingore alleged claiming the role of police in the matter is ambiguous.