Maharashtra Elections 2024: ₹5 crore cash found in car during Nakabandi in Pune; what we know so far

Unaccounted cash worth ₹5 crore was seized from a car during a Nakabandi by the Pune police at Khed Shivapur toll plaza on the Mumbai-Bengaluru highway on Monday.

The police questioned four people in the car, including the driver, in this connection.

The cash stash was handed over to officials of the Income Tax Department for further probe.

"During `Nakabandi' (vehicle checking), a white Innova was intercepted. It was checked and cash was found....notes of ₹500 denomination, worth ₹5 crore, were being transported towards Kolhapur," said Pankaj Deshmukh, Superintendent of Police, Pune Rural.

"The Income Tax department has initiated a probe into the matter," he added.

One of the four people travelling in the car claimed that he was a contractor and the cash belonged to him, the senior police officer added.

On the Pune cash seizure, the Opposition alleged that the ruling parties were distributing money ahead of the Maharashtra elections.

Speaking to the media, Shiv Sena UBT leader Aaditya Thackeray said: “It is clear that if it is someone from the ruling party, then no one will ever know, because we have already said that if the Election Commission is neutral, then it will be known. If it is not, then everyone will start making the same conjectures as you made.”

NCP-SCP leader Jitendra Awhad said: “...Are helicopters checked? No, they are not checked. No one knows how much cash goes in helicopters. Big leaders carry huge bags, do they carry clothes in those bags? Money is carried in those helicopters...”

Opposition leaders also claimed that the police had found more cash, but some of it was not seized.

Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut had alleged that the cash was linked to Shahjibapu Patil, MLA of the Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. He also claimed that another vehicle carrying ₹10 crore was let off by the police.

Patil dismissed the allegations, saying he had nothing to do with the car.

In Maharashtra, the code of conduct is in force as the assembly elections are slated to be held on November 20.