Over Rs 12 lakh seized in Jharsuguda ahead of Odisha panchayat polls

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Jharsuguda, Feb 10:

Police seized over Rs 12 lakh from a house in Odisha’s Jharsuguda district ahead of the upcoming panchayat polls.

The huge amount was seized on Wednesday night just few hours after police seized Rs 88,000 from a former Block chairman in Lakhanpur area in Jharsuguda.

According to reports, the Rengali police seized Rs 12.30 lakh from house of Debraj Barik during patrolling at Kandheikela where Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh was to address a public rally.

Earlier police had information about it. Acting on the information, Rengali IIC Pratap Rana had stopped Barik’s vehicle at around 1 am Dhulunda square but did not get during search. Later, the police searched his house where Rs 12.30 lakh cash was found from his younger brother Babaji Barik’s bedroom.

As Devraj’s statement was not the satisfactory on the cash he had kept in his house, police informed the Income Tax department about it.

BJD leader Anup Sai, who is the former legislator from Brajarajnagar, alleged Debraj of bringing huge amount from a particular political party to influence voters in the upcoming rural polls.

Refuting the allegation, Debraj said that the cash was kept in the house to purchase a four-acre land near his house.

Police detained Debraj and his brother Babaji in this connection.