Despite strict instructions from the Election Commission to the effect that those transporting cash and valuables while the model code of conduct is in force must carry supporting documents, a good quantity of cash is being seized daily for want of proper documentation.

The losers in the game are private cash management companies.

EC’s instructions

As per the compendium of instructions of the Election Commission (EC), banks should ensure that vans of agencies carrying the bank’s cash should not, under any circumstances, carry cash of any of the third party agencies/individuals except the banks.

Towards this end, the outsourced agencies should carry letters/documents issued by the bank to them while filling up ATMs and delivering cash at other branches, banks or currency chests.

A senior police official told The Hindu: “Immediately after the model code came into force, we had a meeting with bankers and cash management firms in the city and explained to them the operating procedure for transportation of cash from one chest to another or to ATMs. But the very first seizure was from a van belonging to a cash management team. In nearly a dozen incidents, cash management staff were found carrying cash without sufficient documents.”

Sharing his expericence, another police officer said: “One day, we intercepted a cash van with ₹1.4 crore. The van only had its driver with no staff or gunman in it. We were shocked to see such large amounts of cash being transported in such a casual manner. The driver did not even have an identity card. He claimed it was the way cash was transported all the time.”

Police officers said flying squads in the city had seized ₹16 crore in cash so far within city limits, mostly from ATM vans without supporting documents.

“What else can we do with them? We hand over the cash to the treasury for further proceedings. Only 10% of the cash has been released back on production of supporting documents,” said a police source.

Gold seized

Around 290kg of gold valued at ₹89 crore and 250 silver articles belonging to a couple of leading jewellery firms were seized by the flying squads.

The city police has so far executed pending warrants against 1,315 criminals and booked 629 cases against functionaries of political parties and candidates for violation of the model code of conduct and other offences.

As many as 730 liquor bottles have been seized.