Karnataka Elections 2023: Raids Uncover Big Money From Tree, Auto Rickshaw

From cash to gold and liquor, IT department and Election Commission have made several seizures in Karnataka.

The Income Tax department has seized one crore rupees from the house of Subramania Rai in Karnataka's Mysore.

(Image courtesy: Twitter; Altered by The Quint)

As high-octane drama plays out in election-bound Karnataka the Election Commission and Income Tax departments have been working overtime to seize cash.

For instance, Rs 1 crore was seized from atop a tree only recently in the state.

But where? India Today reported that on Wednesday, the Income Tax Department seized one crore rupees worth of cash from K Subramania Rai's Mysore home. He is the brother of Puttur candidate for the Congress, Ashok Kumar Rai.

Why is the incident significant? The Model Code of Conduct (MCC), which is in place in the southern state owing to the Assembly elections, forbids carrying a sizable sum of cash without the appropriate documentation.

Ahead of the Karnataka elections, which are all set to happen on 10 May, the recovery of money from a contesting candidate’s brother’s house is considered electoral fraud. But it is not just the Congress is under scrutiny.

On 14 April, Rs 1 crore was seized by Customs department from two people travelling in an autorickshaw in Bengaluru. More money, liquor, and gold were seized from different places in Karnataka.

Election Commission Seizes Money, Liquor, Gold

As on 29 March, the Election Commission of India's Karnataka wing had seized Rs 305 crore in cash from various places across Karnataka, Hindustan Times reported.

According to Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, the seizure included Rs 110 crore in cash, Rs 74 crore in liquor, Rs 81 crore in gold and silver, and Rs 22 crore in other freebies. Narcotic substances worth Rs 18 crore were also seized. till 29 March, 2,346 FIRs were filed in connection with the seizures. The Election Commission had also brought in seizures worth Rs 58 crore between 9 March and 27 March.

Similar Fraudulent Activities Across the Board

• Two individuals were apprehended by the Bengaluru Police for carrying Rs 1 crore in undeclared cash. The recovery was made from a car near the City Market area on 13 April.

• The Income Tax Department also conducted raids at two residential premises of former Congress leader Gangadhar Gowda and an educational institution in Belthangady, Dakshina Kannada, which belongs to Gangadhar Gowda's son, Ranjan Gowda. In 2018, Gowda left the BJP and joined the Congress. However, he had recently announced that he quit politics.

• The election authorities approved the disposal of 69,825 weapons. They also revoked the licenses for 20 guns and captured 18 weapons, along with 5,522 cases recorded under the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) Act.