Chembur
Police on Thursday seized Rs 10.10 crore after intercepting a vehicle in suburban Chembur in eastern Mumbai and detained three persons.
The seizure included Rs 10 crore in scrapped denomination of Rs 500, and Rs 10 lakh in 2,000 rupee banknotes, a senior official said.
Officers of Tilaknagar police station found the notes stuffed in two gunny bags after they flagged down the car this evening.
The detainees claimed to have been employed with a cooperative bank in Pune district.
They claimed the vehicle was transporting notes from Ghatkopar branch of the bank to Pune, police said.
"We are verifying their claim and will seek help from the ," Mumbai police spokesperson and DCP Ashok Dudhe said.
"One of them is the manager in Pimpri Chinchwad branch of the Vaidyanath Urban Cooperative Bank and told the police the cash belonged to the bank, while other two claimed they are also employees of the bank," Shahaji Umap, DCP (Zone VI) said, adding "the police are verifying the record."
Notably, Pritam Munde, the daughter of BJP Leader Gopinath Munde is the director of Vaidyanath Urban Cooperative Bank.
Kalyan
The Khadakpada Police recovered Rs 21 lakh from Kalyan from two men who have been detained in connection with the seizure.
The seizure included Rs 17 lakh in new denomination notes. The huge amount was being secretively carried in two Activa scooties.
The police had been informed that some persons were coming to exchange defunct notes with new notes on commission.
It was on the basis of this information, that the two accused were busted during checking on Birla College Road.
The two detained have introduced themselves as businessmen.
Police have also recovered many cheque books from the accused.
Virar
In a joint operation, Income Tax Department and Crime Branch of Vasai Police on Thursday recovered Rs 1.11 crore in both old and new notes from the vehicle belonging to a Shiv Sena corporator in Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation, police said.
Searches were carried out at Dhananjay Gawade's residence as well as office at Pragati Nagar in Nalla Sopara in neighbouring Palghar district around 8.30 am, they said.
During the operation, the cash was found kept inside the vehicle parked at Gawade's residence, they added."Out of the Rs 1.11 crore, Rs 64.5 lakh were in scrapped notes of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500, while the remaining Rs 47 lakh were in the new Rs 2,000 bills," a police official said.
"Gawade has been taken into custody for questioning in connection with the cash," he said. Meanwhile, replying to a query on the seizure of notes, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said here that the party is investigating if the seized currency is similar to that of state Co-operation Minister Subhash Deshmukh.
According to reports, cash worth over Rs 91 lakh belonging to Lokmangal Group associated with Deshmukh had been seized by
flying squad of state Election Commission in Osmanabad, before the first phase of civic elections last month.
Deshmukh had then claimed that the amount was meant to be disbursed as wages to sugarcane workers attached to the Lokmangal group.
Pune
The police on Thursday seized Rs 14.75 lakh, all in new currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 2,000, from five people at a hotel in the upmarket Koregaon Park area of the city.
"These five people were found at a hotel with Rs 14.75 lakh in their possession. On questioning they gave vague answers," said a police officer.
Police suspected that they were about to exchange the cash with defunct notes, he said. Income Tax department had been notified about the seizure, the officer added.
Washim
Maharashtra Police on Friday seized unaccounted cash worth Rs. 41 lakh in new currency of Rs. 2000 and Rs. 100 from Karanja here.
Till now, the police have arrested 11 people in the matter.
"During checking we intercepted three cars. 11 people were travelling from Nagpur to Karanja. Rs. 41 lakh were seized from them, we have arrested the accussed," said Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Ratnakar Nawale.
The case is being investigated by the police.