9.61L LITRE LIQUOR, ~1.71CR CASH SEIZED IN POLLBOUND GUJ

NEWDELHI: About 9.61 lakh litres of liquor, ~1.71 crore in cash and gold and jewellery worth over ~8 crore have been seized by the Election Commission-appointed surveillance and expenditure monitoring teams in poll-bound Gujarat till now.

The Election Commission teams have so far confiscated liquor worth ~22.19 crore from the state where prohibition is in force.

They have also seized suspected illicit cash totalling ~1.71 crore, 37.63kg of gold and other precious metals valued at ~8.17 crore and 35kg of narcotics worth ~3.5 lakh, as per official data.

Apart from this, 3,650 British Pounds (about ~3.11 lakh) and 30,000 Thai Baht (about ~60,000) have also been seized by the EC teams, the data said.

The EC has appointed about 100 election expenditure observers in Gujarat, apart from other central observers, to keep a check on black money and illegal inducements used to bribe voters.

Over 311kg of bullion, an official said, has been released by the surveillance teams post verification in the state as it was meant for genuine jewellery business.

In Rajkot, the jewellery manufacturing hub, 6-8kg of bullion is being intercepted daily at the airport and it is being released similarly post verification, he said.

The 182-member Gujarat Assembly will go to polls in two phases on December 9 and 14. The counting of votes is scheduled for December 18.