Police seized Rs 41.47 lakh in cash during searches in the city and the border areas of the taluk, in the wake of the model code of conduct being in place for the Assembly elections, on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning.
Cash amounting to Rs 33.47 lakh was seized at Mothi Circle in the Brucepet police station limits, when it was being transported in a two-wheeler, without proper documents, on Wednesday night. Ashok Kumar, a resident of Flower Bazaar who was transporting the money, is being questioned in this regard.
It is learnt that the money belongs to Kumar’s employer V Gopal, a pawn broker and resident of Cowl Bazaar. Gopal is absconding and the police have launched a manhunt for him.
In the other instance, following a tip-off police seized Rs eight lakh which was being transported hidden in a grapes basket at the checkpost on the Karnataka-Andhra Pradesh border near Chellagurki in the taluk. Five people have been arrested in this connection.
The arrested are Bellary residents Chethan, Harish, Hemanth, Deeparam and Raju, the driver of the Tata Indica car in which the money was being transported.
The arrested, who could not produce proper documents, told the police that they had been to Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh to purchase spare parts for an automobile shop. Since they could not purchase the items, they were returning with the money. Paramadevanahalli police have registered a case.
Chief Electoral Officer Anil Kumar Jha told reporters in Bangalore that the Bellary deputy commissioner and senior police officials have been directed to be on high alert as more such instances of money being transported are likely in the district.
