UP: ₹5 Crore In Rs 500 Notes Recovered From Underground Drums In Prayagraj

Police in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj allegedly recovered cash worth around Rs 5 crore, stored in three blue drums buried underground at a house in Baraipur village, around 32 km from the city. The currency notes, reportedly in bundles of Rs 500, had been wrapped in cloth and concealed beneath the ground.

According to reports, the recovery was made on Wednesday night from the ancestral house of Rakesh Yadav, also known as Mahakal, in the Nawabganj area. Police reportedly received information that suspected stolen money had been hidden at the property. The matter reached Police Commissioner Piyush Mordia, following which a team led by DCP (Ganganagar) Sonam Kumar and Additional DCP Pushkar Verma reached the village around 6 pm.

Police conduct search operation

Police reportedly cut off electricity to the village before launching the search operation. After searching the premises for around four-and-a-half hours, officers seized the cash and sealed the house. Rakesh’s brother, Bablu, was taken into custody, while other family members were also taken away by police for questioning. More than 40 personnel were deployed around the property, garden and adjoining vacant land.

The search reportedly followed a dispute between Rakesh and some neighbours five to six days earlier, after which an FIR was registered against him. His argument with a police sub-inspector during the subsequent visit reportedly prompted further scrutiny.

Source of recovered cash remains unclear

Villagers claimed Rakesh had worked at a jeweller’s house in Pune before returning home during the Covid-19 pandemic. They said he later purchased 22 bighas of land, built a house and started a cement and steel business. Police have not yet established the source of the recovered cash, and further investigation is underway.