Assembly polls: Rs 650 crore worth illicit cash, liquor seized; nearly half from West Bengal
New Delhi (PTI): Enforcement authorities across the four poll-going states and Puducherry have seized over Rs 650 crore worth of illicit cash, drugs and liquor meant to allure voters, the Election Commission said on Sunday.
According to data shared by the poll authority, Rs 319 crore of illicit cash, drugs, liquor and valuable metals have been seized from West Bengal, followed by Rs 170 crore in Tamil Nadu.
Over 5,173 flying squads have been deployed to ensure that the complaints are attended to within 100 minutes.
Besides this, over 5,200 static surveillance teams (SSTs) have also been deployed for setting up surprise nakas (broadly, barricades) at different locations, the poll authority said.
While Kerala, Assam and Puducherry go to the polls on April 9, voting in West Bengal will be in two phases on April 23 and 29. Tamil Nadu will have assembly polls in a single phase on April 23.
Assembly bypolls will also be held in eight seats across six states on April 9 and 23.
The data, EC said, has been collated from the Electronic Seizure Management System.
While assembly elections and by-elections were announced on March 15, the Electronic Seizure Management System (ESMS) was activated on February 26.
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Kerala woman missing in Tadiandamol Hills found safe, brought back
Bengaluru (PTI): A 36-year-old woman who went missing while trekking in the Tadiandamol hills of Kodagu district four days ago has been found, the office of Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre said on Sunday.
Official sources said she is safe and is being brought back.
G S Sharanya had travelled alone from Kerala for the trek and was staying at a private homestay in Kakkabe village.
She had set out for the high mountain range of Tadiandamol hills on April 2 with a guide and 15 other trekkers, but went missing that afternoon.
Earlier, the minister said additional personnel and drone cameras had been deployed to search for her, following Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s instructions to intensify the operation.
As soon as her disappearance was reported, five teams comprising 50 personnel—including police, the anti-Naxal squad, a dog squad, and forest staff—were formed to conduct searches.
With four additional teams of 40 personnel deployed, a total of nine teams were involved in the operation.
The young woman had last contacted the homestay by phone on Thursday, saying she had lost her way.
The minister had earlier said, “We are conducting the search based on her last phone location. Local tribal people have also rushed to help, and sophisticated thermal drone cameras have been deployed, along with an additional team starting today.”
