COIMBATORE: In a bizarre case of overreach, a poll squad seized Rs 50,010 cash from a woman in Coimbatore claiming that she had breached the cash limit as per the model code of conduct as she had Rs 10 more than the permitted amount of Rs 50,000.
Strangely enough, the team had carried out the seizure after allegedly making the woman part with Rs 10 she had in her mobile phone cover as small change to arrive at the Rs 50,010 figure. The incident happened around 11 am on Saturday, when Suriya Priya (34), who was handling the accounts of a micro industry unit owned by her husband Suresh Babu, was on her way to the unit on a two wheeler from her house at SIHS Colony.
A flying squad team intercepted her at Indira Garden near Singanallur. “I was carrying Rs 50,000 in Rs 500 denomination to give weekly salary to our staff. Since I knew about the restrictions as per election rules, I carried only Rs 50,000 — the permissible limit. I had documents to show it was withdrawn from a bank on March 16. I had kept the cash at home to disburse it on the salary day. When I gave all the explanations and showed documentary proof, one of the members of the FST team asked me for Rs 20. I said I had just Rs 10 in my mobile phone cover for emergency use. When I gave the Rs 10 note, the officers told me that they were seizing the Rs 50,010 as the total value had crossed Rs 50,000!”
The team then rudely asked her to come to the south taluk office for further inquiry, where she was further harassed.
Harassment for 3 hrs
After nearly three hours, the officials of the flying squad returned the cash and set her free. Suriya Priya later sent a complaint to District Collector Kranthi Kumar Pati and the Election Commission of India on her ordeal