Kolkata cash haul: Police smell poll connection

KOLKATA: Police on Monday questioned the director of a firm, one of whose employees was caught with Rs 87 lakh in cash at Sudder Street on Sunday. Police said they questioned Shams Tabrez, a resident of Tiljala, in this regard. “He could not provide any valid document, and we suspect that this money was meant to be used during the polls,” said a police source.

The cops have written to the income tax department and the Enforcement Directorate seeking their help in the probe. “Each time we arrest someone with unaccounted money, the suspect claims he is part of some money exchange business or travel business. We have to probe the case in details,” said an official.

The police also reviewed all pending summonses in the city. “There are elaborate legal processes through which summonses are served and executed. Our legal team helped us prepare an exhaustive list — often crosschecking with courts — and we are now executing them,” said an officer. Police sources claimed around 50% of all the summonses have already been executed.

On Saturday afternoon, detective department got a tip-off that a deal involving a huge amount of money was being made around Suddar Street in the New Market area. The person carrying the cash was identified as Md Wasim Khan of Taltala and detained. Sleuths found a huge number of currency notes of Rs 2000 and Rs 500 in his bag. Khan was taken to the DD office in Lalbazar.

Following interrogation, he was arrested under Section 379 IPC (for theft by exercising the power conferred) and under Section 41 of Code of Criminal Procedure. Sleuths are trying to find out how Khan got such a huge amount of cash. Also, investigations are on to find out where the money was about to be sent. Police sources said that they have found several new leads in this case on Monday.