Bengaluru, April 21: Income-Tax (I-T) sleuths seized Rs 4.13 crore in cash and 4.52 kg gold jewellery valued at Rs 1.32 crore during raids conducted over the last three weeks in poll-bound Karnataka, an official said on Saturday.
"Of the Rs 4.13-crore seized, Rs 4.03 crore is in Rs 2,000 and Rs 500 currency notes, with Bengaluru accounting for Rs 2.47 crore and Ballari Rs 55 lakh," said state Joint Director of Income Tax Department G. Ramesh in a statement here.
The rich mining Ballari town is 330 km from Bengaluru.
A single-phase election to the 225-member Karnataka assembly, including one nominated member is scheduled on May 12 across the southern state, with the vote count on May 15.
"We have stepped up surveillance and monitoring of activities in view of the state assembly election. Seizure in higher denomination rises eyebrows, as people are finding difficulty in drawing cash from banks and ATMs due to its shortage in some parts of the country," asserted Ramesh.
High alertness at airports and railway stations across the state led to detection of a person carrying Rs 16.5-lakh in cash at one of the airports without valid proof of its source.
"A follow-up action against the accused person led to detection and seizure of additional Rs 37 lakh in his Mumbai premises. We have seized all the cash amounting to Rs 53.50 lakh," pointed out Ramesh.
In raid, the sleuths seized Rs 55 lakh in cash from a person to whom a contractor paid in a districts and confession by the latter of concealing Rs 16 crore to evade paying income tax on it.
In another case, household articles valued at Rs 9.51 crore intended for distribution was found in a warehouse near Mysuru.
"Investigation revealed that the articles were meant for distribution was found in a warehouse near Mysuru," claimed Ramesh.
Rs 50 lakh cash was sized from a person, whose name and place has not been released.
"We have set up a 24x7 control room in the city to receive election related complaints from the public and other state agencies. Strike teams have also been formed with powers in all the 30 districts to act," said Ramesh.
The bank's investigation cell has gathered details of contract payments made in the last quarter of the fiscal 2017-18 and comparing them pervious years to identify abnormality.
"We are also co-relating bank transactions and cash withdrawals with other officials," added Ramesh.
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Kashmiri shawl vendors slapped in Mussoorie, forced to shut shop
Dehradun (PTI): A video went viral on the social media here on Tuesday in which two Kashmiri shawl vendors in Mussoorie can be seen being slapped by a group of local men and forced to shut their shop.
In the video, they were seen being abused and slapped repeatedly by a group of three persons led by a bearded man and were asked to wind up and pack off. They were slapped a few times more after one of them produced an Aadhar card establishing his identity as an inhabitant of Jammu and Kashmir.
The three men who slapped the shawl vendors have been arrested, DGP Deepam Seth said.
Jammu and Kashmir Students Association national convenor Nasir Khuehami said, "We received deeply disturbing and chilling reports from Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, where two Kashmiri shawl sellers were brutally assaulted by members of the Bajrang Dal.
"Also, around 16 other Kashmiri traders, mostly from the Kupwara district, have been threatened, harassed, and forcibly evicted from their rented accommodations," he said.
Many of them have been doing business and selling shawls in Mussoorie for years, contributing to the local economy and living peacefully within the community, he said.
The three men apologised for their actions and promised they would not repeat such conduct in the future, Khuehami said, adding that legal proceedings are being initiated against them under the Police Act.
The accused identified as Suraj Singh, a resident of Post Kempty, Tehri Garhwal; Pradeep Singh, a resident of Hathipaon, Mussoorie; and Abhishek Uniyal, a resident of Company Garden, Mussoorie.
Around 16 Kashmiri shawl vendors from Mussoorie have now returned to the Kashmir valley, Khuehami said.
A video showing two #Kashmiri shawl sellers in #Uttarakhand’s #Mussoorie being harassed by three local men surfaced on social media on Tuesday, sparking widespread outrage.
— Hate Detector 🔍 (@HateDetectors) April 29, 2025
The clip shows the men repeatedly slapping the vendors, hurling abuse, and forcing them to shut their… pic.twitter.com/kq7LSlTjkK
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