Ranchi: In a decisive action against electoral malpractice, Jharkhand authorities have confiscated illegal cash and materials valued at Rs 57 crore and 66 lakh over the past 12 days during the ongoing assembly elections. This was announced by the state’s Additional Chief Electoral Officer, Dr. Neha Arora, at a press conference held at ‘Nirvachan Sadan’ on Saturday.
Dr. Arora revealed that over 24 agencies from both the Central and State governments are collaborating in this extensive initiative to ensure free and fair elections. The Police Department has led the seizures, recovering more than Rs 47 crore in cash and materials, while the state’s Commercial Tax Department has reported seizures exceeding Rs 4 crore and 46 lakh.
In a related effort, Chief Electoral Officer K. Ravi Kumar convened a review meeting with officials from all enforcement agencies to reinforce the campaign’s goals. He underscored the necessity of preventing illegal activities aimed at influencing voters through cash or other incentives.
Kumar urged officials to remain vigilant against any attempts to sway the electorate and called on bank representatives to report suspicious transactions to the Income Tax Department. Ensuring electoral integrity remains a top priority as the election process unfolds in Jharkhand.
In a significant operation late Friday night, the assembly elections wing in Dhanbad district seized Rs 6.40 lakh in cash and 13 kg of silver ornaments, including utensils, at the Jharkhand-Bengal interstate check post, located approximately 45 km from the district headquarters.
At around 2:30 am on Saturday, a vehicle inspection by the Maithon OP police team uncovered the silver items hidden in a Mercedes car traveling from Kolkata to Begusarai in Bihar. The vehicle’s owner, Keshav Kumar, claimed he purchased the silver in Kolkata for transport but could not provide the necessary purchase documents. As a result, the police confiscated the silver items, utensils, and the vehicle, which have been turned over to enforcement officials for further investigation.
This seizure follows another incident just two days prior when the Maithon police seized 3 kg of silver from a separate vehicle at the same check post during routine inspections.
In a joint statement, Deputy Commissioner and District Returning Officer Madhvi Mishra and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) HP Janardhan confirmed that the Rs 6.40 lakh in cash, believed to be intended for electoral bribery, was confiscated from various locations in the district. Specifically, Rs 3 lakh was seized in the Sindri police station area, Rs 2 lakh in the Bhowra OP area, and Rs 1.40 lakh in the Katras police station area.
Since the election notification was issued, more than Rs 1.65 crore has been seized across the district, as part of broader efforts to combat the misuse of money and resources during the electoral process.