Patna: Former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi's son Praveen Manjhi was granted bail on Sunday hours after he was detained with Rs 4.65 lakh in a pre-election crackdown on use of illegal money during the upcoming Assembly polls in the state.
Even after getting bail, Praveen will be under the scanner of Income Tax Department, ANI quoted cops as saying at the Makhdumpur Police station.
Earlier in the day, in a major embarrassment for Manjhi, his son Praveen Kumar was detained after police intercepted his car during a routine check at Gaya-Jehanabad check post near Umta village and seized Rs 4.65 lakh cash.
Elsewhere, Rs 49 lakh cash was recovered as part of the drive launched by the state authorities following a directive from the Election Commission against people travelling with unaccounted money.
Police seized Rs 49 lakh unaccounted cash in five separate incidents in the state capital and Muzaffarpur district.
Among those arrested for carrying the money include two persons from Gujarat.
Police also arrested Vishwanath Prasad Singh, a JD(U) leader and former MLA of Parsa constituency in Saran district, from a place near Chief Minister's official residence for alleged unauthorised display of party posters on his vehicle in violation of the model code of conduct.
They also seized an SUV belonging to Sabir Ali, former JD(U) Rajya Sabha member and currently a leader of BJP, for alleged violation of the model code of conduct and registered an FIR against him.
Patna Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Vikas Vaibhav had said, "Intensive checking of vehicles has been started across the district following the EC directive to ensure free, fair and peaceful elections by curbing the use of money, liquor and weapons."
Providing details of the seizures, Vaibhav said Rs 25 lakh cash was seized from a car under Agamkuan police station in the capital from two persons hailing from Mehsana in Gujarat. They have been identified as Chandresh Patel and Dinesh Chaudhary, who have been arrested. Two others travelling with them have also been arrested and the vehicle seized.
In another incident, Rs 10 lakh cash was seized from a person travelling in a SUV under Shahpur police station in the district. Similarly, Rs 53,000 was seized from a person near Saguna More on the outskirts of the state capital.
The SSP further said that Sabir Ali's vehicle was found moving with party flag in Agamkuan police station area without permission for election campaign.
A Muzaffarpur report said Rs 15.5 lakh was seized in two incidents in the district.
The police also impounded a bus, 19 auto-rickshaws and two SUVs for violating the model code. FIRs have been registered against their owners for campaigning without the required permission from district election authorities or the EC.
The police also said that the persons from whom heavy amount of cash is seized, should be able to offer a satisafactory explanation for possessing it as the crackdown was aimed at checking use of unaccounted cash in the polls.
(With Agency inputs)
