Kolkata, March 23 – Police in West Bengal announced on Monday that large sums of cash were recovered again ahead of the upcoming state Assembly elections.
Police and members of the Static Surveillance Team (SST) recovered over Rs 3.7 lakh in cash from three vehicles during searches conducted at two separate checkpoints within the Bakshirhat police station area near the West Bengal-Assam border in the Cooch Behar district.
In connection with this incident, police have detained three individuals—including a resident of Assam—and are questioning them.
This recovery of cash ahead of the upcoming state Assembly elections has created a stir across the entire district.
According to police, on Sunday night, police personnel at the Jorai More checkpoint in Bakshirhat intercepted a four-wheeled vehicle with a West Bengal license plate as it was entering the state from Assam.
During a search, 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, 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 with 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 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.