Cash seized by EC teams ahead of eighth phase of Bengal polls

A hefty amount of cash was seized by the Static Surveillance Teams from different places in Kolkata ahead of the last phase of the West Bengal assembly polls. The eighth phase of polling is scheduled to be held on April 29.

Kolkata:The Static Surveillance Teams (SST) of the Election Commission (EC) have seized Rs 1.45 crore suspect cash from various areas in poll-bound West Bengal on Tuesday, officials said.

In the first instance, Rs 30 lakh cash was seized by the teams at Maulali crossing in the Chowrangee assembly constituency.

Another team seized Rs 40 lakh from a vehicle in the Jorasanko assembly seat area.

Similarly, a team of Kolkata Police intercepted five people and seized Rs 75 lakh for which they could not give "any documentation or justification", a senior EC official said.

The Income Tax Department has been intimated about these cases, he said.

The EC deploys static surveillance teams, drawn from various central and state government agencies, to check the flow of illegal inducements to voters like cash, drugs and other items in the run-up to the polls.

The last phase of the total eight-phased polls in the state are due on April 29. The counting of votes will take place on May 2.

(With inputs from agencies)