Hyderabad: Netas switch transport mode as police tightens checking

Hyderabad: With the increasing vigil of police on cash transportation in the state, especially in private vehicles, political parties and their henchmen appear to have been opting for public transport to shift money from one city to another and also between the states, to lure voters for the forthcoming elections.

Interestingly, in the two recent incidents that took place in a span of three days, Cyberabad police has seized Rs 2.24 crore unaccounted cash that was destined to reach the hands of politicians.

One incident was that of Rs 2 crore cash being sent to Rajahmundry in a train to be delivered to a member of Parliament, the other that of about Rs 24 lakh belonging to the chairman of a mandal praja parishad in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh, which was seized when being taken out of the city in the bus of a private travel agency. In both cases, the politicians were affiliated to the Telugu Desam in Andhra Pradesh.

At least 400 static check posts have been set up by Telangana state police across the state focusing more on areas at the state borders. So far, about Rs 32.51 crore in cash has been seized, besides Rs 3.54 crore worth liquor (2,67,587 litres), drugs and narcotics worth over Rs 2.73 crore, silver worth Rs 26.76 lakh, other freebies worth Rs 4.43 lakh, said the State Election Commission on Thursday. Altogether 359 cases of violation of the model code of conduct have been registered by the state police department.

This includes the Rs 1.5 crore seized by Hyderabad city police and over Rs 3 crore seized by Rachakonda police during vehicle checks since the election code came into existence in the state.

Speaking to this paper, a senior police official said that in view of the elections, heavy vehicle checking is being conducted across the state to ensure prevention of cash, freebies and liquor supply by political parties. “Unless there is specific information about cash movement, public transport vehicles are not generally stopped at the check-posts. As large numbers of commuters opt for public transport for routine travel, checking such vehicles causes huge inconvenience to them and also makes it difficult for police to check and frisk passengers and their baggage. Hence, some miscreants take the chances of shifting money in trains and state transport buses,” said the official.