Tension gripped Kolkata’s political circles after police nabbed two men with Rs 19.94 lakh in crisp Rs 500 notes in Shyambazar on Tuesday morning. The dramatic bust occurred amid heightened election security in West Bengal, where Assembly polls in Kolkata and South Bengal districts are set for April 29.
Central paramilitary forces teamed up with Kolkata Police’s Static Surveillance Team and Burtola station personnel for vehicle inspections. Spotting two passengers in a detained car acting nervously, officers searched a black leather bag and uncovered the massive cash stash.
The suspects, Sajidur Rahman of Kaliaganj in Nadia and Vivek Ojha from Salikia in Howrah, offered no satisfactory answers about the funds. Lacking any documentation, they were hauled to the police station for deeper interrogation.
This incident underscores a pattern of cash seizures statewide. Just recently, CBI operatives raided a Behala businessman’s home, seizing over Rs 1 crore, while border checks with Assam yielded more illicit funds. Police are probing links to potential vote-buying or campaign financing irregularities.
With elections looming, the state administration has ramped up checkpoints, surveillance, and raids to block unaccounted money and troublemakers from outside. Nodal officer Shibrota Roy oversaw the Shyambazar operation, signaling zero tolerance for electoral malfeasance. As investigations continue, this haul could unravel larger networks influencing the polls.
