A day after the Static Surveillance Team of the Election Commission of India (ECI) in Tirupur detained three containers transporting Rs. 570 crore cash to the State Bank of India in Visakhapatnam, the controversy surrounding the money refused to die down.
On Sunday, while the Income Tax Department sought to transfer the money to Coimbatore, DMK president M. Karunanidhi urged the government to come out with a proper reply on the transfer of cash through containers at night.
Chief Electoral Officer Rajesh Lakhoni said, “The Income Tax Department has given a letter to the District Collector to transfer the vehicle(s) to Coimbatore in the chest of the bank (SBI) to execute search warrants under Section 132 of Income Tax Act.” The provision (Section 132) deals with failure to produce books of account and other documents when a search or seizure of cash is involved.
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Meanwhile, in a statement, Mr. Karunanidhi wondered why such a huge amount was transported at night and why the drivers of the containers had refused to stop the vehicles when they were intercepted by the EC’s surveillance team.
“Would it require three containers to carry Rs. 570 crore? Was the money counted properly,” the DMK leader asked, adding why they did not carry documents if the money was meant for genuine chest-to-chest transfer.
“It is said the amount has not been insured. The RBI has clearly laid down rules for transfer of money, depending on the amount. When such a big amount was transferred, why were the police in plain clothes? Why were the containers not sealed? Why was the money transported on a holiday,” he asked.
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Mr. Karunanidhi claimed that the money was not meant for any genuine purpose and that the bank officials had appeared on the scene only after the intervention of a senior Union Minister.
‘Vehicle not chased’
Meanwhile, SBI officials and Andhra Pradesh police personnel who escorted the containers denied that they had failed to stop the vehicles when the EC team flagged them. “We were checked twice and asked to move on after the surveillance team was satisfied with the documentation produced by us. We also showed our bank and police ID cards,” claimed an official.
“But the containers were intercepted by the same team a third time when we were exiting a fuel station. Citing a typographical error in one of the documents, the EC detained our vehicles,” the official claimed.
An AP policeman said seven of the 14 personnel were in uniform. The police escort team was led by Inspector G. Mahatma Gandhi. He denied that the registration number of the vehicles did not match with those in the documents.
A Reserve Bank of India official added that the cash was being transported in accordance with the RBI’s Currency Management Policy and the controversy and confusion were unwarranted.
(With inputs from Vimal Kumar in Tirupur)
‘The money was not meant for genuine purpose and there was political intervention’
‘Why was such a huge amount being transferred in the night. Why didn’t the drivers stop?’