4 cops among 7 arrested for flouting EC’s cash seizure norms in Varanasi

A case has been registered against seven members of static surveillance team (SST) of Sevapuri assembly constituency of Varanasi on Wednesday for not seizing ₹4.5 lakh recovered from a trader during checking on Monday.

SST members, including SST magistrate, a child development project manager (CDPO) Mukesh Kumar Kushwaha, sub inspector Vidyarthi Singh, head constable Jata Shankar Pandey, constables Sanjay Kumar and Amit Singh Yadav, photographer Saurabh Seth and driver Gorakh Yadav were arrested, said district administration in a statement.

Subsequently, four cops have been suspended and departmental inquiry has been initiated against them. Police said due to assembly elections, the SST was deployed in Sevapuri assembly constituency.

The team was checking the suspected vehicles near village Katwarupur in Jansa police station area when a businessman Veer Chaurasia, resident of Anandnagar, Ahmedganj in Bhadohi, who was on a bike with his friend Umesh Yadav, stepped down and started walking with a bag in his hand, police said.

The SST stopped him and found ₹8.5 lakh in his bag, police said.

During interrogation, Chaurasia could not give satisfactory answer regarding a partial sum of ₹4.5 lakh. The SST took ₹4.5 lakh for depositing it in income tax department, police said in the statement.

The SST members told the trader that he would get back the money after he files a satisfactory reply at the income tax department, the statement by police added.

When the businessman did not receive any information from income tax department, he approached the police. After this the station house officer, Jansa, informed the district magistrate and superintendent of police, Varanasi rural following which a joint investigation team was set up.

The investigation revealed that ₹4.5 lakh, recovered by the SST was not seized and deposited in the income tax department, but has been kept by the SST.

A case was registered under section 409 (Criminal breach of trust by public servant) of the IPC against the SST. Superintendent of Police, Varanasi (rural), Amit Verma said a departmental inquiry has been initiated against them while the district magistrate/district election officer Kaushal Raj Sharma has recommended disciplinary proceedings against them to the election commission. “Those violating EC’s instructions, won’t be spared,” Sharma said.