In a significant crackdown on electoral malpractice, the Baner police in Pune registered a case against three political party workers on Saturday for allegedly distributing cash to voters. The police also seized a total of Rs 2.53 lakh from two different locations in the area.
Tip-Off Leads to Swift Action
The operation was set in motion after Senior Inspector Chandrashekhar Sawant of the Baner police station received a crucial tip-off through social media platforms. Acting promptly on the information, a police team was dispatched to investigate.
"Accordingly, our team reached near an auto service centre in Balewadi and found a political party worker offering cash to people," stated Senior Inspector Sawant, detailing the initial discovery.
Cash Seized from Scooter and Residence
With the immediate assistance of the Election Commission's flying squad, the officials conducted a search. They first confiscated Rs 1.5 lakh from the boot of a scooter belonging to the accused worker.
The investigation did not stop there. The teams then proceeded to search the residence of the scooter's owner, who is also a party worker. From this location, an additional Rs 1.03 lakh was recovered, taking the total seized amount to Rs 2.53 lakh.
Case Registered Against Trio
The police have officially registered a case against three individuals. This includes the two party workers from whom the cash was seized. The third accused is the owner of the auto service centre, who is also a party worker and is alleged to have provided his premises for the distribution of the money.
"We registered the case against the duo and the auto service centre owner, a party worker too, for providing his space for the distribution of money," Inspector Sawant confirmed.
Police Commissioner Issues Stern Warning
Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar issued a strong warning following the incident. He emphasized that offering any kind of inducement to voters is a serious and punishable offence under the law.
Commissioner Kumar urged residents and citizens to remain vigilant and to immediately inform the police if they witness any such activities aimed at influencing voters illegally. The police have assured swift action on all credible complaints to ensure the integrity of the electoral process.
