WATCH: Rs 30 Lakh Seized By Surveillance Team In Pune Ahead Of Lok Sabha Election Voting Day

Static Surveillance Team recovered around Rs 30 lakh from a car in Pune's Maval Lok Sabha constituency in Pimpri Chinchwad ahead of the polling, slated to be held on May 13.

SST conducts search in the Maval Lok Sabha constituency and recovers around Rs 30 lakhs from a car. ( Image Source :X/@ANI )

Ahead of the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections, the Static Surveillance Teams (SST) on Thursday seized around Rs 30 lakhs from a car in Pune's Maval Lok Sabha constituency. The Election Commission officials told news agency ANI that the cash has been handed over to the Income Tax department for further probe.

 

A video of the search has also surfaced online in which the police officials and SST can be seen checking the car, from which the cash was recovered.

#WATCH | Pune | The Static Surveillance Teams (SST) seized Rs 29 lakh 50 thousand from a car in the Maval Lok Sabha constituency, in Pimpri Chinchwad. The cash has been handed over to the Income Tax department for further probe: EC officials pic.twitter.com/caAjRhCEUU

— ANI (@ANI) May 1, 2024

What Is A Static Surveillance Team?

At the time of elections, the Election Commission of India, to ensure fair play in polling, forms various teams to keep a vigil over excessive campaign expenses, bribe distributions in cash or kind, antisocial elements, or movement of illegal arms, ammunition, and liquor, in the constituency during the election process.

One of these teams is the Static Surveillance Team, which comprises one magistrate and three or four police personnel in each team who man the designated check post. Some of the SSTs can also consist of CPF personnel, depending on the sensitivity of the area.

SSTs put check posts on major arterial roads and borders of the district and state, keeping a watch on the movement of large amounts of cash, illicit liquor, bribe, arms and ammunition, or movement of antisocial elements. The teams are required to videograph the entire process of checking, as seen above in today's video.

Rs 50 Lakh Seized From SUV On Pune-Mumbai Expressway

In a similar incident, which occurred ahead of the Lok Sabha polls in March, the Pimpri Chinchwad police seized Rs 50 lakh cash at a checkpoint at Urse toll booth on the Pune-Mumbai Expressway.

The police team from the Shirgaon police station was checking vehicles at Urse toll booth, when they recovered the cash from an SUV, going from Mumbai to Pune.

Thereafter, police initiated action in accordance with the Model Code of Conduct, which comes into effect after the schedule of the Lok Sabha elections is announced.

About Maval Constituency

Maval is one of the 48 constituencies in Maharashtra, currently represented by Shiv Sena's Shrirang Appa Chandu Barne. 

The constituency will go for polling in the fourth phase of the elections on May 13. The counting of votes and result declaration is slated to be held on June 4 as announced by the Election Commission of India.

Shiv Sena and Shiv Sena (UBT) are in for a fight in Maval constituency. While Shiv Sena's sitting MP from Maval, Shrirang Barne will re-contest from the seat, Shiv Sena (UBT) has fielded Sanjog Waghere Patil from the seat.

In 2019, Barne won the seat, defeating NCP's Parth Ajit Pawar with a margin of 31 percent votes.