Over Rs 1.57 crore seized in Trichy during MCC enforcement

Trichy: Election monitoring teams in Trichy district have seized more than Rs 1.57 crore during enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) across nine assembly constituencies since March 15.Of the total amount, Rs 1.53 crore has been released after verification, while Rs 8.4 lakh remains unclaimed. A total of 54 flying squad teams and static surveillance teams have been conducting vehicle checks and inspections to curb the movement of unaccounted cash and prevent distribution of money to voters. Among the constituencies, Srirangam recorded the highest seizure at Rs 40 lakh, followed by Trichy West with Rs 27.4 lakh and Lalgudi with Rs 22.8 lakh. The seized cash was handed over to the respective returning officers. "As of April 22, Rs 1.53 crore has been returned to owners who produced valid documents. However, Rs 8.4 lakh remains unclaimed, including Rs 5.5 lakh from Lalgudi," officials said. The figures do not include seizures of Rs 10 lakh or more, which are directly handed over to the Income Tax department. In one such case, Rs 50 lakh in unaccounted cash was seized from Malavanur near Lalgudi on April 2 and transferred to the department. Officials said the family involved is allegedly linked to a candidate contesting from the Lalgudi constituency.