Rs 64,500 seized from car near Sena nominee's poll office

EC's flying squad on Monday seized Rs 64,500 cash from a car parked outside the poll campaign office of Shiv Sena candidate Rajendra Gavit in Palghar Maharashtra. Shiv Sena MLC Ravindra Phatak and his supporters were present at the poll campaign office when the raid was conducted.

Mumbai: The flying squad of the Election Commission of India seized Rs 64,500 cash from a car parked outside the poll campaign office of Shiv Sena candidate in Maharashtra's Palghar district on Monday, a police official said.

The raid was carried out in the early hours near Central Park at Tulinj area near poll campaign office of Sena nominee Rajendra Gavit, said the police official.

The action was taken following a complaint by Bahujan Vikas Aghadi activists, including Vasai-Virar mayor Rupesh Jadhav, who alleged that cash was being distributed to lure voters, he said. Based on the complaint, the car parked outside Gavit's office was checked by the police and EC staff, who found Rs 64,500 cash in the vehicle, he said.

Official further informed that police found Shiv Sena MLC Ravindra Phatak and his supporters at the poll campaign office during inquiry. The Tulinj police filed a complaint against Phatak for being present in the constituency even after the campaign was over, the official said.

Phatak violated Chapter 8 of the Model Code of Conduct which says that any political personality who does not belong to the constituency should not remain there after the campaigning gets over, he said.