Over Rs 218 crore cash seized ahead of Delhi elections
New Delhi: Enforcement agents have confiscated cash, drugs, bullion, booze, and gifts totaling more than Rs 218 crore during monitoring and surveillance in accordance with the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) implementation in a major crackdown ahead of the Delhi Assembly Elections 2025.
The Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, Delhi, reports that among the cash seized is Rs 38,64,20,564, which is a startling 202% increase over the amount of money retrieved during the 2020 Delhi Assembly elections.
Furthermore, thus far, freebies totaling Rs 5,520,719, wine worth Rs 493,775,770, bullion worth Rs 807,850,903, and drugs worth Rs 884,008,723 have been seized.
Additionally, 2,703 FIRs under different statutes have been registered as a result of the increased monitoring, exceeding the 2,067 FIRs filed during the 2020 elections.
“Efforts will continue to ensure free, fair, and inducement-free elections in Delhi,” the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer said.
In order to ensure adherence to election regulations and reduce the effect of cash, alcohol, and other inducements in the voting process, the Election Commission has also sent out special squads to keep an eye on questionable behavior.
Two sophisticated handguns, 125 live cartridges, and three magazines were found in the custody of a prominent criminal who was detained earlier on Sunday by the Delhi authorities Crime Branch, according to authorities.
Two sophisticated automatic handguns manufactured in Austria and Turkey, four 9 mm live cartridges, twenty-one AK-47 live cartridges, forty 7.65 mm live cartridges, ten pipe gun live cartridges, fifty Czech Republic live cartridges, one AK-47 magazine, two carbine magazines, and one automobile were found by Delhi police.
A campaign against illegal alcohol, drugs, and weapons is underway in accordance with Election Commission of India standards and in anticipation of the Delhi legislative assembly elections.
The job of taking action against providers of illegal guns, narcotics, and alcohol was given to a committed squad. Monitoring the operations of several gangs operating in the Delhi NCR region was another duty assigned to the squad.
The Election Commission has emphasized to the Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi that all enforcement agencies should closely monitor any instances of money-power abuse and voter inducement and that no party should engage in any activities that could exacerbate already-existing divisions, foster animosity amongst castes and communities, or cause tension. The polls in Delhi are set for Wednesday.
In order to guarantee free, fair, and inducement-free elections for the Delhi assembly, the letter stated that the Election Commission had given instructions to observers, district election officers, returning officers, senior officers of municipal authorities (MCD, NDMC, and cantonment board), and police authorities during the review meetings.
Voting for Delhi’s 70 assembly seats is set on February 5; the results will be tallied on February 8.
