Over Rs 22 lakh cash was recovered from hotel rooms in Hazaribag booked in the name of Gopal Sahu, the candidate of Indian National Congress from the Lok Sabha constituency, which is going into polls on May 6.
Officers said that prima facie evidence shows that Sahu had the plans of alluring electors to vote for him by paying them money.
Acting on a tip off received by Hazaribag Deputy Commissioner Ravi Shankar Shukla, a team of expenditure cell, income tax department and local police conducted a raid at Hotel AK International jointly. The team included nodal officer of expenditure cell cum Deputy Development Commissioner (DDC) Vijiya Jadhav, election observer Jimmy Joseph and other officers.
The team arrived at the hotel at 11:47 pm on Sunday and found from the hotel reception that four rooms, 201, 209, 303 and 406 were booked in the name of Gopal Prasad Sahu. On raiding these rooms, cash was found in two rooms, 201 and 209. The money was kept in briefcases, leather bags and envelopes with names or codes scribbled in the corners.
A total of Rs. 16,85,000 cash was found from room number 201 along with a number of election related documents and 70 envelopes stocked with money right from Rs. 500 up to Rs. 10,000. Another Rs. 5,06,400 cash was recovered from room number 209, which was booked for stay of Gopal Sahu's son, Sandeep Sahu.
Room number 303 was booked for the stay of GP Sahu, while room no 406 was booked for one Nanda Kumar, neither of which had any cash. Meanwhile, two people escaped from the hotel during raid.
"We waited for Sahu to turn up till 3 am, but he was nowhere to be seen," the DDC said.
She informed that a candidate is not supposed to possess more than Rs. 10,000 cash for election purpose. “Any transaction of over Rs. 10,000 by a candidate has to be done through electronic mode. The prima facie evidence shows that the huge amount of cash was brought to allure voters. The income tax department would serve a notice and do further enquiry with Sahu over the source of income,” she said.
Jadav informed that action will be taken against Sahu under section 123(1) B of Representation of the People Act corrupt practices in election and section 171 of Indian Penal Code which talks of bribery.
