Amid a confrontation between political events following the seizure of Rs 5 crore in money from an SUV in Pune on Monday night, the Pune Rural police reported that one of many occupants of the automobile, who recognized himself as a building contractor from Sangola in Solapur district, claimed that the money belonged to him. The Opposition events, in the meantime, alleged that the automobile belonged to an MLA from Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.
The Pune Rural police seized the unaccounted money round 6.30 pm on Monday at a checkpoint arrange on the Khed Shivapur toll plaza on the Pune-Bengaluru freeway. This motion was taken in gentle of the upcoming Maharashtra Meeting elections and in accordance with the Mannequin Code of Conduct. The investigation has been transferred to the Revenue Tax (I-T) division for additional motion.
The Pune Rural police arrange 9 checkpoints at varied entry and exit factors of their jurisdiction forward of the Maharashtra Meeting elections, which shall be held on November 23, adopted by the counting of votes on November 22. A police group, which was conducting random automobile checks at Khed Shivapur toll plaza, recovered money of Rs 5 crore from a white Innova which was going from Mumbai in the direction of Satara with passengers.
“After the money was intercepted, we knowledgeable the flying squad fashioned underneath the Election Fee, returning officers involved and the I-T division. The automobile’s occupants couldn’t present any legitimate cause and proof to account for the money. Subsequently, The genuineness of the money was verified. It was discovered to be real and it was Rs 5 crore. The money has been handed over to the I-T division and saved on the treasury department of State Financial institution of India (SBI) in Pune,” mentioned an officer from the Pune Rural police.
“One man, who claimed to be a building contractor from Sangola, mentioned the money belonged to him within the assertion given to the I-T division. The I-T division will look into the ahead and backward linkages of the money. It could possibly provoke its prosecution if the money transport violated the legal guidelines underneath its purview. The I-T division may even strategy the police if their probe reveals it was for functions of bribery, and so on,” the officer added.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut took a dig at CM Shinde, saying that the automobile belonged to an ‘MLA of Mindhe Group’. He additionally claimed that Rs 15 crore was seized from the automobile as a substitute of Rs 5 crore, because the police acknowledged. In a submit on X on Monday evening, Raut not directly alleged that the Shinde Sena chief in query was Sangola MLA Shahajibapu Patil, by one other reference, ‘Kay Zaadi… Kay Dongar’.
Chatting with the media on Tuesday, Raut claimed, “My credible data says there was a complete of Rs 15 crore money. Of that, Rs 5 crore has been seized and the remaining Rs 10 crore has reached the place it was destined.”
NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar additionally used the identical references to level fingers at Shahajibapu Patil in posts on X. Rohit claimed that a number of autos had been concerned, however the police seized just one.
Chatting with the media on Tuesday, Shahajibapu Patil mentioned, “I’ve no details about this case, and I’ve completely nothing to do with the money the information media is reporting. All these allegations are baseless, I problem them to present a single proof. I’m able to face any investigation.”
Click on right here to hitch Categorical Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated record of our tales
