Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], April 11 (ANI): A close associate of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Ashok Dinda was detained during a naka checking operation in West Bengal, with authorities recovering a significant amount of cash and gold from his possession.
According to information shared by the Trinamool Congress (TMC), Sandip Manna, owner of Bijli Jewellers and a close associate of BJP MLA Ashok Dinda, was intercepted during a naka check near Anantapur Girls High School.
During the checking, officials reportedly recovered approximately Rs 17 lakh in cash along with 105 grams of gold from Manna. The circumstances under which the cash and valuables were being transported are currently under scrutiny.
TMC alleged that Dinda is attempting to secure the release of his associate following the detention. However, there has been no immediate official response from the BJP regarding the allegations.
The development comes amid heightened surveillance and enforcement measures in poll-bound West Bengal, where authorities have intensified checks to curb the movement of unaccounted cash and valuables ahead of the Assembly elections.
In a separate incident earlier in March, a team of the Election Commission’s Flying Squad seized Rs 25 lakh in cash from a vehicle near CC-2 under ECO Park Police Station limits in Kolkata.
The Flying Squad team was deployed for election surveillance and enforcement operations when it intercepted a suspicious vehicle. The team identified one individual, named Thakor Suraji Abhesang, who was found travelling in a car under circumstances deemed suspicious.
Upon searching the vehicle, officials recovered the cash, and further investigation into the matter is currently underway.
Meanwhile, West Bengal is set to go to the polls in two phases, scheduled for April 23 and April 29, with counting of votes slated for May 4.
According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), the first phase will cover 152 Assembly constituencies, with the gazette notification issued on March 30. The last date for filing nominations for this phase is April 6, followed by scrutiny on April 7. Candidates were allowed to withdraw nominations until April 9.
The second phase will cover 142 constituencies, with the gazette notification issued on April 2. The deadline for withdrawal of nominations for this phase is April 13.
The West Bengal Legislative Assembly has a total of 294 seats, and the main contest is expected between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party, making the elections a closely watched political battle. (ANI)