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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Vinod Tawde seeks apology from Kharge, Rahul through legal notice, warns of defamation lawsuit
Cash-for-vote row
New Delhi, Nov 22: BJP leader Vinod Tawde has demanded an apology from Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi for making "false and baseless" allegations against him in the cash-for-votes incident in Maharashtra, saying if they don't he would sue them for defamation.
Tawde was accused by Bahujan Vikas Aghadi, a regional party, of distributing Rs 5 crore to woo voters, with its members barging into a hotel room on November 19 in a Mumbai suburb, where the BJP leader was present.
The former Maharashtra minister and BJP national general secretary claimed innocence, saying the alleged amount was not recovered in the probe by the Election Commission and police.
"The Congress only believes in spreading lies, and this incident is a proof of the party's low level politics to dent me and my party's image," Tawde said.
The two Congress leaders and the party spokesperson Supriya Shrinate seized on the row to accuse the BJP of using money power to influence the November 20 assembly polls in the state.
The legal notice sent to the three claimed that they were aware that they were pushing a "totally false story fabricated" by them.
"You all have deliberately, mischievously with the sole intention of damaging the reputation of our client intentionally fabricated the story distribution of money. You all have published false, baseless allegations against our client on various media for tarnishing his image in the eyes of right thinking people in the society," the notice read.
The Congress leaders were in a "great hurry" to damage Tawde's reputation, they did not bother to check the fact and or despite knowing the entire fact they made the false, baseless allegations, it said.
"The entire imputation made by you all are totally false, baseless, malicious and mala fide and as our client is in no way involved in any such illegal activity and as a responsible office bearer of the national political party he is aware of his duties," it added.
The notice demanded an "unconditional apology" to Tawde within 24 hours from the time the receipt of the notice, which was sent on November 21, and published in newspapers and X.
If they do not offer apology, then Tawde will initiate criminal proceedings under Section 356, which covers defamation, of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and also civil proceedings for the damages of Rs 100 crore against the three Congress leaders, the notice said.
