Pune, Oct 22 (IANS): Maharashtra political circles went into a tizzy on Tuesday after the Pune Rural Police along with Income Tax Department and Election Commission of India (ECI) teams intercepted an SUV loaded with Rs 5 crore cash in packets.
The vehicle, an Innova SUV, was stopped when it was moving towards Sangol's Khed-Shivapur road toll booth. A police team was already there in wait following a tip-off.
Superintendent of Police Pankaj Deshmukh told mediapersons today that the cash was all in Rs 500 denomination and the Income Tax Department has confirmed that all the currency notes were genuine.
The vehicle bearing registration number MH-45-AS-2526, was plying from Mumbai to Kolhapur, and has been seized pending investigations, added Deshmukh.
He said the persons travelling in the SUV claimed that they were businessmen engaged in road construction projects and the money belonged to them. The vehicle driver was detained for questioning for a few hours and released.
However, the police, ITD and ECI are probing further to ascertain the source of the large amount of cash, where it was being taken, or for what real purposes in view of the Model of Conduct in force for the November 20 elections.
Officials said that the vehicle belonged to one Amol Nalawade, who reportedly sold it to one Balasaheb Asbe, and Nalawade is an activist of ruling Shiv Sena MLA Shahajibapu Patil.
As per officials, the car was stopped during a road blockage (nakabandi) by the Rajgad Police Station in the Bhor area of Pune at around 6.30 p.m. on Monday evening.
The police subjected the SUV to a thorough search which revealed cash of around Rs 5 crore, allegedly belonging to a person related to MLA Patil -- making it the first big seizure of cash in the state Assembly election season.
After seizing the SUV, the Pune Police along with the ITD and ECI are probing whether the money was being moved for any potential political purposes.
This morning, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut alleged that the car belonged to a sitting MLA from the ruling MahaYuti ally Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
In an X post, Raut asked "who is this MLA" and claimed that the CM had reportedly sent "Rs 75 crore to each candidate" for the upcoming 2024 Assembly polls on November 20.
Nationalist Congress Party (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar echoed similar comments and demanded a full probe into the matter and action against those responsible for the suspected election malpractice.
Though Raut did not identify the alleged SS MLA (of Sangol), he dropped broad hints in his social media post to point an accusing finger at the culprit (Shahajibapu Patil), who had been sent the ‘first instalment’ of Rs 15 crore.
Following a political furore, today (Tuesday), Patil vehemently denied any links with the cash booty found in the SUV and contended that he was deliberately targeted as the elections are around the corner.
"I myself saw the news on the cash seizure on TV last night. My name was not mentioned anywhere. I have no connection with this car. Thousands of my workers are present in that (Khed) taluka. But I have no idea about whose car it is. Yesterday I was touring villages and meeting people all day," Patil told media persons on Tuesday.
As a precaution, police, ITD and ECI authorities have stepped up vigil for suspicious movement of large quantities of vehicles with cash without proper documentation that may be deployed for dubious purposes.