Anticipating movement of huge cash and bullion across the metropolis in the run-up to the lok Sabha polls, the Income Tax Department based in Mumbai has set up a round-the-clock control room and complaint monitoring cell to check use of black money in elections.
“In cases where Income Tax authorities receive any information about movement of large amount of cash or bullion, they would investigate the cases as per the provisions of the Income Tax Act, and shall seize the cash or bullion if no satisfactory explanation is furnished,” an official release stated.
Acting on the instructions of the Election Commission of India, the IT Department has floated a helpline number for general public to alert it about any suspicious movement of large sums of cash or bullion in Mumbai. The telephone numbers of the Control Room are 022-22624011, 22635511 and 22627275.
The IT department has advised the public to carry necessary documentary evidence, including Identity Card and PAN card, while carrying large amounts of cash or bullion in order to avoid unnecessary inconvenience.
The setting up of a round-the-clock monitoring cell by the IT department should be seen in the backdrop of a controversy over the seizure of Rs 1 crore made from the car of a Congressman in Amravati district of eastern Maharashtra ahead of the Amravati Municipal Corporation (AMC) polls in February, 2012. The cash was seized from a car occupied by Maharashtra Minister of State for Finance Rajendra Mulak’s personal assistant Ashish Bodhankar on February 12, 2012. Bodhankar was carrying the cash to hand it over to former President Pratibha Patil’s son and Congress MlA Raosaheb Shekhawat. Raosaheb and two other local Congress office bearers told the police the seized cash was a party fund being sent ahead of the AMC polls. Meanwhile, the Election Commission has put in place an expenditure monitoring mechanism for curbing misuse of money power during general elections.
As part of the exercise, the EC has created an Election Expenditure Monitoring cell within its establishment to monitor illegal money and also appointed a number of Expenditure Observers to keep a tab on money power. It has also asked the Ministry of Civil Aviation to operate Air Intelligence Units in all airports to keep track of illegal cash movement.
Amravati Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar questioned Raosaheb and two Congress office bearers on the “origin” and “destination” of the thereto “unaccounted” `1 crore cash seized from a Ford Endeavour car coming from Nagpur.