Telangana Traders panic over cash seizures by cops

SIBY JEYYA
The Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and the announcement of Telangana's assembly elections have caused the police to focus their efforts on locating "unaccounted cash" throughout the State. However, the public, particularly the city's trader community, is growing anxious about the cash confiscation. For a few days, Mohd Ateeq (name changed), who had intended to buy jewelry for his daughter's marriage, abandoned his preparations. "We are unsure of what paperwork to bring or how to demonstrate that the money is indeed ours. Clarity is what we need," he declared.
It seems that not even the police officers are very knowledgeable about the matter. The public was simply instructed to carry identification proving their ownership of any cash above Rs 50,000. Only party employees or party candidates, according to election commission of india standards, should carry more than Rs 50,000. How can we determine whether someone is working for a party or not? Depending on the circumstances, we may take the money or, in the event that the individual has a good cause, let him leave. On condition of anonymity, a police officer stated, "In certain cases, the Income-Tax Department or election authorities are notified and the amount is turned over for further action."

However, a senior police official insisted that officers were instructed to use caution when apprehending people who are carrying cash for purposes other than paying for education or college, such as medical bills or expenditures tied to getting married. The official stated, "Any documentation such as prescriptions or hospital receipts, marriage invitation cards, school certificates, or admission forms along with bank passbook will be helpful in such cases."


As a result of learning that police were inspecting and taking cash, traders from andhra pradesh and other State areas were staying away, according to Damodar Das, head of the hyderabad Kirana Merchants Association. Small-time merchants prefer in-person cash transactions over internet ones and do not keep records. If their money is confiscated, that indicates they have financial difficulties, he continued, adding that if clear instructions are not given, there would be more issues in the days ahead.

Another dealer made the observation that they frequently move daily cash from stores to secure locations. Another vendor remarked, "We are in a Catch-22 situation because we can't carry our cash to safe places or keep it at the shops."




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