Maha Assembly Polls: Pune Police Seize SUV Carrying ₹5 Crore in Cash

Political tensions escalated in Maharashtra after Pune Rural Police intercepted an SUV containing ₹5 crore in cash. The incident occurred on Monday when the Innova SUV was stopped while heading towards the Shivapur road toll booth, following a police tip-off.

The vehicle was halted during a roadblock (nakabandi) by the Rajgad Police Station in the Bhor area of Pune around 6:30 p.m. A thorough search revealed the substantial cash amount, which is allegedly linked to a person associated with a ruling party MLA, marking this as the first significant cash seizure ahead of the state Assembly elections.

After the discovery, Pune Police notified the Income Tax Department (ITD) and the Election Commission of India (ECI), both of which are conducting further investigations, as the Model Code of Conduct is currently in effect for the polls.

Sanjay Raut, a Shiv Sena (UBT) MP, claimed on X that the SUV belonged to a sitting MLA from the ruling MahaYuti ally, Shiv Sena, led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Raut questioned, “Who is this MLA?” and alleged that the Chief Minister had reportedly dispatched “₹75 crore to each candidate” for the upcoming elections scheduled for November 20.

While Raut did not name the MLA associated with the vehicle and cash, he hinted at Shahajibapu Patil, stating that he had received the “first installment” of ₹15 crore.

In response, Patil strongly denied any connection to the cash found in the SUV, asserting that he was being targeted due to the approaching elections. “I saw the news about the cash seizure on TV last night. My name was not mentioned. I have no connection with this vehicle. I was busy meeting people in villages all day,” Patil told reporters on Tuesday.

In light of this incident, police, ITD, and ECI officials have heightened vigilance regarding the suspicious movement of vehicles carrying large sums of cash without proper documentation, to prevent any potential electoral misconduct.