Just hours before voting commenced in the 70 Assembly constituencies of Delhi, two employees from the Delhi Chief Minister’s office were detained by the police on Tuesday after being found with ₹5 lakh in cash. The incident has raised concerns about possible electoral malpractices as polling gets underway.
Police Seize ₹5 Lakh from CM’s Office Staff
According to Delhi Police officials, the arrest was made following a tip-off regarding individuals allegedly carrying a large sum of cash. A Flying Squad Team (FST) was dispatched to the location and apprehended the suspects.
“We received a call that some people were caught with ₹5 lakhs. Our team reached the spot, and the FST (Flying Squad Team) handed over two men, namely Gaurav and Ajit. Both are attached to the (Delhi) CM’s office, as per preliminary information. We have seized ₹5 lakhs from them. Further investigation is underway,” said Ravi Kumar Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) South East, while speaking to ANI.
Authorities are currently investigating the source of the money, its intended destination, and whether it was linked to electoral activities. “One of the men was working as an assistant to the CM’s PA, while the other is a driver,” Singh added.
Confirmation of the Incident on Social Media
The District Election Office (DEO) and District Magistrate (DM) of South-East Delhi confirmed the incident on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter). In a post, they stated:
“FST team found two individuals, Mr. Gaurav and Mr. Ajit Singh, in a car with ₹5 lakh. Mr. Gaurav stated that the money was received from Mr. Pankaj, PA to Ms. Atishi, for booth management in Giri Nagar, Kalkaji (AC). Cash has been seized, and police are further investigating it.”
Delhi Votes Today Amid Political Battle
Polling in Delhi began at 7 AM on Wednesday, with over 1.56 crore eligible voters set to cast their ballots. Voting is being conducted across 13,766 polling stations in all 70 Assembly constituencies.
This election is crucial in determining the fate of 699 candidates vying for positions in the Delhi Assembly. The contest is expected to be a three-way battle:
- AAP: Seeking a third consecutive term in power.
- BJP: Looking to reclaim Delhi after more than 25 years.
- Congress: Attempting to make a comeback after failing to win a single seat in the last two elections.
As the voting process unfolds, this cash seizure incident has added a new layer of scrutiny to an already high-stakes electoral battle. Authorities continue their probe to determine if the seized money was intended for election-related activities.