In poll-bound TS, just cash and booze won’t do

Officials seize sarees, musical instruments, LPG cylinders and petrol tokens too

Police personnel checking vehicles in view of the Assembly polls. Cash seizures since the election code came into force amounted to ₹76.16 crore.

Seizure of cash and liquor by enforcement authorities is a common feature in the run up to elections to different elected bodies.

But Telangana, which is going to polls on December 7, has reported seizure of altogether different items. The enforcement officials apparently chanced upon laptops, electrical musical instruments and various other items while conducting searches in different places.

Counting machine seized

The seized items included 31,200 sarees worth ₹17.81 lakh and uniforms, shoes and caps all worth ₹4.24 lakh. This is in addition to the seizure of cloth bundles, blankets, LPG cylinders and petrol tokens. Surprisingly, a counting machine has also been confiscated during the searches.

According to reports prepared till 6 a.m. on Sunday, the election authority has seized 12.66 kg of gold and another 76.96 kg of silver, all worth ₹4.26 crore.

Drugs/narcotics like ganja (176.67 kg), gutka (2,038.63 kg) and tobacco powder (1,080 kg) worth ₹47.45 crore in addition to cigarette cartons worth ₹1.5 lakh formed part of the seized items.

Cash seizures since the election code came into force amounted to ₹76.16 crore with the State police reporting seizure of ₹56.48 crore and the Income Tax department contributing another ₹19.67 crore.

The excise enforcement officials have reported seizure of nearly 3.29 lakh litres of liquor worth ₹6.44 crore so far, and the numbers are only expected to rise as electioneering reaches its peak after withdrawal of nominations.