Kolkata: The Income Tax (I-T) Department and other agencies have so far seized over Rs 21.11 crore of unaccounted cash, jewellery and bullion from West Bengal after the announcement of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, an official said here on Thursday.
Of the total seizure so far, about Rs 10 crore in unlawful cash has been recovered in this year’s drive in the state, which is higher that the around Rs 8 crore cash seized during the two-month effort before the 2014 general elections, I-T sleuths said.
“Our drive aimed to curb black money flow during elections. I-T officials and other agencies have so far recovered over Rs 21.11 crore of unaccounted cash, jewellery and bullion after the declaration of the elections. The seizures were done mostly in Kolkata and also in Siliguri and Balurghat,” said I-T investigation wing’s Principal Director Ashish Verma. The seizures were made from businesses, cash handlers and hawala operators, he said.
“With our intensifying efforts, we have unearthed nearly Rs 10 crore in cash in just 15 days of operation after the announcement of polls. Last time, we had recovered around about Rs 8 crore in cash,” Verma added. He also said the I-T officials have been conducting a search operation for over two months at a private vault having about 649 lockers at central Kolkata’s Vardaan Market basement and that the operation will get over on Thursday.
“In this operation, we have so far seized Rs 5.16 crore of unaccounted cash and jewellery and bullion worth Rs 13.62 crore,” he said. “Of the about Rs 12 crore worth of jewellery and bullion seized so far after the announcement of elections, around Rs 8-9 crore worth of specious metals were recovered from the Vardhan market operation,” Verma told IANS.
The I-T Department has deployed over 200 of its officers and employees across West Bengal, Sikkim and Andaman & Nicobar Island to monitor election expenditure and flow of black money. The department will also have dedicated teams for each of the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal which will have staggered seven-phase polling in the upcoming elections.
Following directions from the Election Commission (EC) of India, the directorate got 94 additional officers for the duration of Lok Sabha polls in a bid to throttle the flow of black money during elections. Five Special Task Forces (STFs) have already been formed to take prompt action on the information received as well as the suo-moto intelligence gathered.
The I-T Department has also asked the banks to give them information of cash transactions of Rs 10 lakh, Verma said, adding that the state and the city police have been roped in for surveillance of cash movement. Cash will be seized if the holder failed to tender satisfactory explanation or provide evidences such as ATM withdrawal receipts, the official added.
