HYDERABAD: With just a few hours left for the Assembly elections, police have conducted a series of searches in the city and seized huge quantities of unaccounted cash on Thursday, taking the total amount seized so far in the State to Rs 93 crores. As the candidates and their supporters are trying to expedite the money distribution through different channels, police seized unaccounted cash, allegedly meant for distributing among the voters, at Gachibowli, Alair, Uppal, Vanasthalipuram and Ibrahimpatnam.
Though the transportation of illegal money has been going on since the Assembly was dissolved on September 6, and despite the police and other agencies taking measures to curb the menace, the candidates have intensified their money distribution activities as the D-day approached.
On Thursday alone, police seized around Rs 70 lakh cash at different locations in Rachakonda commissionerate and Rs 66,30,000 in Cyberabad. Police also seized huge quantities of liquor on the day. According to a senior police official, the police have so far seized Rs 93,08,13,425 unaccounted cash and cash from hawala agents across the State.
Meanwhile, another official said: “The unaccounted cash seized in the past few days may not be much as we believe that the parties and their candidates were well prepared and activated their money transfer channels much before the MCC came into force on September 27.”
Thirsty voters
Politicians can be quite particular about when they offer freebies to voters. They seem to believe that if voters get a freebie too early, cash or liquor in most cases, they would end up forgetting about it or could change their mind before polling day. State Prohibition and Excise officials know that the night before polling day is when most of the liquor is distributed to thirsty voters. Teams from the department plan to be on duty throughout Thursday night.
The department had begun its work right from September, when the Assembly was dissolved by TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao. Till December 5, around five lakh litres of liquor was seized by department. Some more has been seized by the police department as well.
Somesh Kumar, Principal Secretary and Commission of Telangana Prohibition and Excise Department, told Express that a total of 370 enforcement teams would be on job, placed at strategic locations. “We will be vigilant till the polling ends. The teams will take turns and work through the night on Thursday,” he said.