From Our Correspondent
NONGSTOIN: The flying squad of Nongstoin along with the District Magistrate of West Khasi Hills on Sunday night seized Rs 13 lakh from a Maruti Alto (ML-05-F-0798) belonging to one BK Kharsyntiew.
Addressing a press conference on Monday, District Election Officer S Kharlyngdoh informed that at around 10:15pm on Sunday, a police team along with a Magistrate intercepted a vehicle which had sped away from a check point at NH-44 (E) near Pamphyrnai Lake.
On being questioned, the driver of the vehicle, BK Kharsyntiew, claimed that there were clothes in his vehicle.
However, on frisking the vehicle, the police team, the flying squad and the Magistrate, recovered a plastic bag containing Rs 13 lakh in cash.
After inquiry, the flying squad confirmed that the driver is the nephew of Kingford Kharsyntiew, Congress candidate from Rambrai-Jyrngam constituency.
The driver claimed that the money did not belong to any political party but was meant for his business purpose (M/s Ford Auto Spare Parts Upper New Nongstoin).
When questioned, the driver replied that the money had been drawn from SBI branch, Nongstoin, even though the bundles had the marking of the Industrial Co-Operative Bank Limited, Guwahati, Assam.
The District Election Officer, meanwhile, has stated that detailed interrogation would be undertaken to find out whether the cash was meant to be utilized for election purposes.
He also informed that the Congress candidate has two Bank Accounts in SBI Nongstoin and the election officials would try to ascertain whether the money had been drawn from SBI, Nongstoin or from any other bank.
The vehicle and the cash have, meanwhile, been seized by the police and the flying squad.
