Hyderabad: High drama unfolded on the National Highway (NH) in Gadwal on Tuesday night when police on election duty stopped an ordinary truck carrying ‘extraordinary goods’. The truck carrying huge cash worth Rs 750 crore left the police in a tizzy.
What added to the intrigue was the place where the truck was stopped at 10.30 pm – the highway passing through Gadwal which is usually a transit point for smugglers.
However, after a few hours of suspense, it became a no-fuss affair as the cash load belonged to Union Bank of India which was being shifted from Kerala to Hyderabad.
On Wednesday, Telangana Chief Electoral Officer Vikas Raj put an end to all speculations and said that the truck was released for onward journey after confirmation from bank officials.
Vikas Raj said, “The truck carrying Rs 750 crore in cash remained in the headlines for a few hours, but eventually we learned that it was a straight-up chest-to-chest money transfer. Once verified, the police seized the truck. Allowed to continue his journey.”
The CEO said that due to the strict monitoring of law enforcement agencies, every vehicle entering the state is being carefully inspected.
During his recent visit to Hyderabad before announcing the Telangana election schedule in Delhi, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar had asked state election officials to curb smuggling from Goa and other places through Mahabugnagar to Hyderabad. He was also upset with the ‘low’ cash seizure by the state police. Following complaints from opposition parties, the Election Commission also transferred top IPS officers, four collectors and senior officials.
Despite the Election Commission taking a tough stance, policemen on election duty in the state are not taking any chances and had stopped the truck on the highway on Tuesday night fearing possible disturbances.
Explaining further, Sanjay Kumar Jain, Telangana Police’s nodal officer for the EC, said: “The truck loaded with cash encountered a road blockage, prompting a call to the Gadwal police for assistance. Upon inspection our officers A large amount of cash was discovered. After examination of the documents and consultation with the bank and the Reserve Bank of India, the truck along with the Gadwal police continued its journey to Hyderabad.”
Meanwhile, the cumulative seizures across the state have reached Rs 165 crore, which includes cash, liquor, drugs, gold and precious stones. The value of gold, diamonds and precious metals seized is Rs 62 crore and cash amount is Rs 77 crore.