The Income Tax department has netted a record seizure of ₹1,100 crore in cash and jewellery during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, which is a 182 per cent increase compared to the ₹390 crore confiscated during the previous 2019 general elections.
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Delhi and Karnataka, said sources privy to details, topped the list of states and union territories for the highest seizures, with each accounting for more than ₹200 crore worth of cash and jewellery. Tamil Nadu saw the second highest seizure which was ₹150 crore followed by Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Odisha, said sources while adding that the figures are as latest as of May 30. The last three states collectively lead to seizure of more than ₹100 crore worth of cash and jewellery, sources stated.
The IT Department swung into action to curtail inducements and other malpractices ever since the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the 2024 Lok Sabha polls kicking off the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) on March 16 for the seven-phase elections which will end on June 1 and the results declared four days later. Though the agency was on alert before the poll announcement as well.
Central agencies have been monitoring the movement of cash, liquor, freebies, drugs, jewellery, and other items throughout the country that could influence voters or candidates. For effective monitoring, each state has established 24x7 control rooms for effective crackdown against illegal movement of cash and other items that may be used to taint the electoral process.
All political parties and candidates are bound by the MCC to check unethical practices and promote ethical conduct. As per the rules, agencies are well within their rights to seize items if individuals are found carrying cash over ₹50,000 or new items worth over ₹10,000 without supporting documents, sources explained.
If the individuals offer valid documents proving the items are unrelated to the elections, they will not be confiscated or will be returned subsequently. If the seized cash exceeds ₹10 lakh, it’s forwarded to the IT Department for deep scrutiny.
On April 15, the Election Commission of India came out with an official statement to give an assessment of overall seizures by different enforcement agencies before the first phase of polling. According to the Commission, the agencies made a record seizure of over ₹4,650 crore, marking a sharp increase of over ₹3,475 crore seized during the entire Lok Sabha election in 2019. Significantly, 45 per cent of the seizures were of drugs and narcotics, that are under the special focus of the Commission.