Mubin and Deepak in police custody. (Source: Vishal Srivastav)
The LUCKNOW police on Monday recovered demonetised notes with the face value of Rs 30 lakh from an SUV belonging to senior Samajwadi Party leader and former cabinet minister Ravidas Mehrotra in Gomti Nagar area of the state capital. The notes seized were in denominations of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000. Police also found Mehrotra’s licensed .32 bore revolver from the vehicle.
Driver Mobin Haider and one Deepak Kumar, who were caught with the notes and firearm, were arrested on charges under Arms Act and Specified Bank Notes (Cessation of Liabilities) Act. On Tuesday, both were produced before a court, which sent them in judicial custody.
Station House Officer (SHO) of Gomti Nagar police station Anand Prakash Shukla said that a vehicle checking drive was going on at the overbridge near Janeshwar Mishra Park when they stopped the SUV.
“Policemen searched the vehicle to find a polythene bag containing demonetised notes in the denomination of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 with the face value of Rs 30 lakh. A revolver was also recovered from the vehicle. During questioning, the driver and another person travelling in the vehicle told the police that the SUV and the firearm belong to former minister Ravidas Mehrotra. They also told that they were on their way carrying the cash to a person in Gomti Nagar extension area to exchange it with new notes,” the SHO said.
He, however, refused to share the identity and details of the person who they were meeting to exchange the notes.
“Following verification, the license of the revolver was found to be in the name of Ravidas Mehrotra. Both the accused claimed the cash belongs to them. We are probing the matter,” Shukla added. The SHO said Mehrotra is yet to be contacted as he is not in the city.
Mehrotra denied having any connection with the cash and said, “Driver Mobin is employed with me for the past three years and he is reliable. I do not know Deepak. I have no connection with the cash and do not know how the driver and the other man were carrying it in my vehicle.”
