Lack of clear guidelines on seizure of cash\,valuables puts officials and public in a fix

Coimbator

Lack of clear guidelines on seizure of cash,valuables puts officials and public in a fix

Vehicle checking by officials on election duty has come in for questioning as there is lack of clarity on what documents the public should carry along with cash or valuables.

Vehicle checking by officials on election duty has come in for questioning as there is lack of clarity on what documents the public should carry along with cash or valuables.  

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Impounding of a container lorry near Ukkadam on Monday night following allegations by a few members of the public that it was carrying cash is the latest in a few high-profile seizures in the district since the imposition of the Model Code of Conduct on March 10.

On April 5, a team of officials on poll duty in Coimbatore seized 149 gold bars of a kg each and sent it to the treasury claiming that the quantity of gold transported was more than what was mentioned in the documents. On April 6, another team in Sulur seized ₹3.80 crore from a vehicle transporting cash for refilling ATMs. In all these instances and several other seizures , the reason that the officials said for seizure of cash or valuables was the person(s) concerned did not carry ‘proper documents’.

But what is ‘proper document’ and what is not is something that the officials should clearly say, says consumer activist K. Kathirmathiyon. “The Election Commission that has specified what documents electors should carry to polling booths to vote, should have come out clearly for officials to either seize or let go of cash and valuables. That it has not done so and let officials on the ground decide has led to people getting harassed.”

Referring to the incident where ₹ 270 crore cash was transported with proper documents from the Reserve Bank of India but was seized by officials in Tiruppur during the 2016 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, Mr. Kathirmathiyon says that the Election Commission should clearly specify what documents institutions should carry and what papers should individuals have for cash or valuables in their possession.

A senior district administration officer admits that it is indeed a grey area as the Election Commission has not spelt out what are proper documents. This has led to a situation where officials, who have little knowledge of documents used for transport of cash or gold or other goods, seize those to be on the safer side. In instances where the value of the cash carried or goods seized is high, the officials alert the Income Tax, Customs or Directorate of Revenue Intelligence who investigate and then give clearance, wherever required. But in instances where their role is not required, the officials simply seize the cash.

The officer adds that it is better that the Commission comes up with clear guidelines so that it helps both officials and members of the public.

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