More cash seized in Hyderabad ahead of Munugode bypolls

Hyderabad, Oct 31: Just three days before the Munugode bypolls, the Hyderabad police on Monday seized nearly Rs 90 lakh unaccounted cash and arrested a person.

The seizure was made by West Zone Task Force personnel from a car in upscale Jubilee Hills. As the person carrying Rs 89.92 lakh cash failed to produce any documents, they handed him over to Jubilee Hills police along with the cash.

The police registered a case and took up investigation if the cash was being taken to Munugode in view of the by-election.

The cash was seized during the intensified vehicle checking by the police in Hyderabad in view of the bypolls in Munugode Assembly constituency in neighbouring Nalgonda district.

During the last couple of weeks, police in Hyderabad seized about Rs 10 crore cash in separate incidents. It is suspected that a part of the seized money was being transported to Munugode.

The latest seizure came three days after Hyderabad police seized Rs 70 lakh cash from a car in Punjagutta.

As part of stepped up vigil to curb cash flow to induce voters, West Zone Task Force personnel during patrolling found Nizam College assistant professor P Kishan Rao and Vembula Vamshi moving suspiciously. Police found them with carry bags filled with Rs 2,000 and Rs 500 notes amounting to Rs 70 lakh.

Kishan Rao, who was earlier with ABVP and Vamshi did not give satisfactory answers when police asked them about the origin of the cash. Police arrested the duo for questioning.

In another incident, West Zone Task Force police apprehended one Kewalram Mali, in possession of Rs 48.8 lakh unaccounted cash at Begum Bazar

Earlier, the police had seized Rs 1 crore cash from a car heading to Munugode. During the vehicle check at a checkpost near Chalmeda, the police found the cash in the car.

The husband of a BJP corporator from Karimnagar was travelling in the car.

The cash was detected during the checking by 'Dynamic teams' constituted by police in Nalgonda district. The person transporting the cash told police that it was being taken to Munugode on the direction of a BJP leader.

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) alleged that the money was meant for distribution among voters.

The ruling party alleged that Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy has assured the BJP leadership that he will spend Rs 500 crore in the by-election.

According to a TRS leader, Rajagopal Reddy quit Congress and joined BJP for the sake of a Rs 18,000 crore contract. He had recently stated that his company was awarded the contract by the Centre six months ago.

The Election Commission of India on Sunday issued notice to Rajagopal Reddy over allegations that his family owned company transferred Rs 5.24 crore to 23 individuals/companies for voter inducement.

The poll panel issued the notice following a complaint by TRS general secretary Soma Bharath Kumar.

The TRS leader alleged that Rs 5.24 crore were transferred from Rajagopal Reddy's family owned company Sushee Infra and Mining Limited Company's State Bank of India account on October 14, 28 and 29 to 23 different persons/companies in Munugode for the purpose of using this fund for voter inducement by withdrawing cash from these transferee accounts.