The Youth Congress on Friday alleged a coverup in the ₹5 crore cash seizure case at the Khed Shivapur toll booth during the Maharashtra Assembly elections held last year. They alleged that despite the large sum being seized, neither the police nor the Income Tax Department has filed an FIR, raising serious questions about the investigation.
Akshay Jain, President (Media Department), Maharashtra Youth Congress, alleged, "Congress had filed a Right to Information (RTI) request seeking details of the case. While the Election Commission provided relevant information, Pune Rural Police and the Income Tax Department refused, citing an ongoing investigation. But what is more suspicious is that when the Election Commission is being transparent, why the police and Income Tax department are refusing the disclosure of details."
The Youth Congress also raised multiple concerns regarding the handling of the case as the police claimed in their report that the money had no political links, yet no detailed probe was conducted. They asked, "Why are government agencies contradicting each other's statements? If the Election Commission was able to provide the details, why are the police and Income Tax Department withholding information? What happened in the three-hour gap between the seizure and the official report? The money was seized at 6:24pm, and the official panchnama was completed only at 1:30am. Who made calls during this time? Were there any political interventions?"
Called this case suspicious, Jain said, "The people of Maharashtra deserve answers. We will fight this case through legal means to find the truth."
What is the case?
The Pune Rural Police on October 23 seized ₹5 crore in cash from a white Innova with registration number MH 45 AS 2526 during a nakabandi operation at Khed Shivapur toll booth. The cash seized was then handed over to the Income Tax (IT) Department for further investigation.
