Viral Sach: Was Rs 20,000 crore seized from BJP MLA's vehicle?

NEW DELHI: Amid spar between the BJP and the opposition parties over the government's demonetisation move, a message on social media has gone viral claiming Rs 20k crore was seized from a BJP MLA's vehicle. According to the viral message, Rs 20k crore in new currency notes was seized from BJP MLA Sudhir Gadgil's Bolero car. The message further alleges that new currency notes were sent to him prior to Centre's note ban decision. ALSO READ: Presidential Election 2017: Here's how President of India gets elected What does the 'message' claim: 1- Cash belonged to a BJP MLA 2- Cash seized was in new currency notes 3- BJP MLA recieved cash before government announcement of demonetisation of higher currency notes. ABP News, while investigating the matter in its Viral Sach segment, learnt that Sudhir Gadgil is a BJP MLA from Sangli (Maharashtra). An election squad, on duty on Osmanabad-Tuljapur bypass road, intercepted a car last month and seized Rs 6 crore (not Rs 20,000 crore as claimed in the message) from the vehicle. The seized cash was in the demonetised currency notes of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 and not in new notes. During investigation by the officials, those detained after the seizure claimed to be personnel of an urban cooperative bank in Sangli and told that cash belonged to the bank. Sangli Urban cooperative bank is headed by Ganesh Gadgil, brother of a BJP MLA Sudhir Gadgil. Ganesh, chairman of Sangli Urban Bank, claimed the cash belonged to his bank. "It was bank's vehicle and the driver had a bank ID proof with other documents related to the cash," Ganesh said. Sangli Urban bank has nine branches in six districts of Marathwada. On November 8, after PM Narendra Modi announced that Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denomination currency notes will cease to be legal tenders, the cash was being transported to Parbhani and Mazalgaon branches of the bank. The bank in a release said when its vehicle was intercepted, its employees duly produced their identity cards, bank documents and details of the notes. "It was during a routine check of vehicles by a district election flying squad intercepted our vehicle. It had the documents related to cash and bank. During investigation, officers from our head office visited the officials and showed papers of bank to the I-T department," Ganesh said. "The notes were the property of the bank and they have given us 'clean chit'," Ganesh added. Hence, in our Viral Sach segment, this message proved to be nothing but a hoax.