Police seize Rs 15L from car on poll eve

THANE: Acting on allegations made by the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) that rival parties were distributing cash to influence voters, the Thane police on Wednesday detained four persons, including a paralysis patient, on Ghodbunder road and seized Rs 15 lakh from them.
A probe revealed that the four Navi Mumbai-based businessmen travelling in their Innova were on their way home and that the cash belonged to them.Police sources said Janardhan Bhange, suffering from a paralysis stroke, along with this two sons - Ankush and Vikram - and a real estate agent Shailendra Pandey had taken the money after a land deal they had finalised last month failed.
NCP leader Jitendra Awhad, however, claimed that there were crores of rupees in the seized vehicle and that it was likely to be utilised to pay people in return for their votes. Awhad said the police should conduct a thorough probe.
Awhad's allegations sent shockwaves in the city as NCP activists claimed that they had tipped off the police about the vehicle carrying the cash. Police, however, said the vehicle was under observation by their team and denied any NCP role in this.
Sena MLA from Thane Eknath Shinde, said the NCP was deliberately trying to malign the rival political parties and intended to create confusion among the voters. He said the Thane voters would not be influenced by money. Police have recorded the statement of Bhange and later released all four.