Davangere (Karnataka): The Karnataka Police on Wednesday detained two men for carrying cash worth Rs 7.5 lakhs on a two-wheeler amid several restrictions around carrying a high amount of cash in the purview of the assembly elections in the state. The men were taken into custody from the Jeenahalli check post in the Nyamati taluk of the district.
Identified as Saifullah and Kumar, the arrested accused were carrying the cash around their waist, tucked into their pants. As informed by the officials who seized the money during patrolling, they were stopped at the Jeenahalli check post at around midnight on Thursday. With the money visible tied around their waist, the police enquired them about it, to which the two did not have a legitimate answer.
The cash was found to be around Rs 7.5 lakhs. Considering the amount was considerably large, the officials asked the men to produce documents or some sort of proof for the transport of the money. The accused failed to do so, following which the police took them into custody and confiscated the money they were carrying. The officials are currently interrogating the two, while the preliminary investigation revealed that both are residents of Shikaripur village in the Shimoga district.
With the assembly elections in Karnataka approaching soon, the state police authorities have stepped up checks at the Karnataka-Kerala border check posts. After the Model Code of Conduct came into force on March 29, monitoring and inspection have been intensified. Police officials across the state have issued notices regarding the rules and regulations that shall apply to everyone in the state.
The officials have warned that while traveling to Karnataka with large amounts of money for whatever purposes, everyone is advised to carry adequate documents. Those who hold Rs 50,000 or more in cash with them should clarify the purpose of the money and provide evidence of the same to the election officials. If not, the amount will be forfeited as unaccounted for, the officials had warned.
