In the midst of the current Lok Sabha elections, a significant sum of money worth Rs 8 crore, in cash, was seized by the NTR district police at the Garikapadu checkpoint in Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday, 8 May 2024. The cash was found in a separate compartment of a pipe-loaded lorry during a routine inspection. The district police have taken two individuals into custody in connection with this incident. The cash was allegedly being moved from Hyderabad to Guntur.
Chandra Shekhar, the Circle Inspector (CI) of Jaggaiahpet said that the sum would be handed over to the district scrutiny teams, and further action by the Election Commission (EC) officials and the flying squad team is awaited.
Addressing the frequency of such instances across Andhra Pradesh, where large sums of money were seized, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) issued a press release in April. The total value of cash, liquor, drugs, precious metals, freebies, and other inducements seized in the lead-up to the Andhra Pradesh elections has reached Rs 141 crore since the announcement of the election schedule, he said. The press release highlighted that this amount has already surpassed the total value of seizures in the 2019 election period. The Election Commission pointed out that such a substantial seizure of inducements, even before the elections have taken place, is unprecedented in the southern state.
It’s worth noting that police may seize undocumented cash exceeding Rs 50,000, as well as campaign materials valued over Rs 10,000, for breaching election regulations.
The assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh are scheduled to coincide with the Lok Sabha polls on 13 May. The Election Commission announced the election schedule on 16 March.
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