PANAJI
The month-old code of conduct has fetched the authorities numerous illicit material including cash, liquor, precious metals and even freebies amounting to an astonishing Rs 15.04 crore.
Cash seizures dominate this figure, tallying up to Rs 4.42 crore, closely followed by ‘precious metals’ valued at over Rs 3 crore with a similar amount in seized liquor.
While these figures cover the period from March 16 to April 15, subsequent seizures were reported thereafter.
The most prominent ones involve cash raids by the Income Tax, although authorities have remained tight-lipped regarding the origins and sources of these seized funds.
The two major raids by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) also caught the attention of the election officials, one of which resulted in the arrest of a British national Jason I for illegal cannabis cultivation at his Socorro residence. Two others from Rajasthan were arrested with 532 grams of Methamphetamine during a raid in Candolim. Raids by Goa Police have led to seizures of Rs 2.33 lakh worth of narcotics during this period.
Exclusive details with The Goan further reveal that miscellaneous items, including a mobile phone confiscated by the Goa Police and 62,118 unidentified items seized by the Commercial Tax Department, contribute about a small portion of the total haul, estimated to be worth around Rs 1.13 crore.
The Goan, in its Saturday edition, reported liquor seizures amounting to Rs 3.05 crore until April 18.
Chief Electoral Officer Ramesh Verma, at a recent media interaction, had stated that the Election Commission of India has deployed a sufficient number of officials from various law enforcement agencies with directions to maintain strict vigilance and enforce the rule of law to prevent any untoward incidents or electoral malpractices.
The officials are also asked to prevent and report to the CEO fraud or corruption during the election period “besides ensuring prohibition of distributing illicit substances, bribery, intimidation, or any other activities that would undermine integrity of electoral process.”
