Cash recovered from three vehicles at West Bengal-Assam border, three detained

Kolkata, March 23 (IANS) Cash worth lakhs of rupees were recovered once again in West Bengal ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, the police said on Monday.

Police and officials from the Static Surveillance Team (SST) recovered more than Rs 3.7 lakh in cash from three vehicles during searches conducted at two separate checkpoints within the Bakshirhat police station area near West Bengal-Assam border in Cooch Behar district.

In connection with this incident, the police have detained three individuals -- including a resident of Assam -- and have started questioning.

This recovery of cash ahead of the upcoming state Assembly elections has created a stir across the entire district.

According to the police, on Sunday night, police personnel on duty at the Jorai More checkpoint in Bakshirhat intercepted a four-wheeled vehicle bearing a West Bengal license plate as it was entering the state from Assam.

During a search, a sum of Rs 57,700 was recovered from a bag found inside the vehicle.

The police seized the money after Birendra Saha -- a resident of Darjeeling who was travelling in the car -- failed to produce any valid documentation for the cash.

Simultaneously, the accused individual was detained.

Meanwhile, at the same time, police from the Bakshirhat Police Station conducted a search of a vehicle belonging to Bikash Saha -- a resident of Barbisha in Kumargram -- at the Sankosh checkpoint.

From that vehicle, a sum of Rs 1,14,300 in cash was recovered.

As Bikash Saha, too, was unable to provide any documentation regarding the money, the police detained him.

On Monday morning, the SST of the Election Commission and police personnel on duty at the Sankosh checkpoint once again intercepted a vehicle bearing an Assam license plate as it was entering West Bengal.

Upon searching the vehicle, the police recovered Rs 1,99,500 in cash.

Since Toton Bhowmik -- a resident of Assam -- could not produce valid documentation for the money, the police detained him and have initiated questioning.

According to the Election Commission regulations, travelling with cash exceeding a specified limit without proper documentation constitutes a punishable offence.

Consequently, as no valid documents could be produced, the police have seized the cash recovered from all three vehicles.

However, the Bakshirhat Police are currently investigating whether this money was intended to be used for any illicit activities or to influence voters ahead of the elections.

--IANS

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