Officials seize Rs 570 crore from 3 containers in TN

The trucks escorted by three cars were intercepted by the flying squad of the election department, accompanied by paramilitary forces, at the Perumanallur-Kunnathur bypass road and a chase ensued as the vehicles did not stop.

Officials said that personnel accompanying the containers told them that they were transferring Rs 570 crore from State Bank of India in Coimbatore to Vishakhapatnam branches but did not have all the necessary documents and efforts were on to ascertain the veracity of their claim.

Though initial reports said that the men inside the truck claimed to be plainclothed policemen from Andhra Pradesh transporting money for State Bank of India, the probe is still on. The Election Commission was not ready to believe it as the documents did not contain SBI seals.

Interestingly, the containers escorted by three cars, did not halt but officials chased them and stopped them near Chengapalli. A check revealed the amount, kept in many boxes, inside the containers, they said.

The men in cars could not produce any proper documents to substantiate their claims, following which the vehicles were taken to the District Collectorate in Tirupur.

Asked why they had sped away without stopping, they told the police they feared it was a robbery attempt and that they were unaware that the officials were from the election department.

Later, however, the Election Commission said that the money might be from the State Bank of India. “The additional documents have been examined and preliminary enquiry revealed that the money belonged to SBI. But the security guards didn’t carry original documents but only photocopies,” Rajesh Lakhoni, Tamil Nadu Chief Election Officer told reporters. He said that the investigation is still in process. The cash bundled into 195 boxes was seized at around 12.45 am.

“It was a routine internal transaction from Coimbatore to Vishakapatnam. It had all the official papers, RBI letter and police escort. A committee meeting is going on with the Election Commission and we are showing all the official documents,” said Ramesh Babu, Chief General Manager, State Bank of India. Polling in Assembly election in Tamil Nadu will be held on May 16.