The authorities in Tamil Nadu returned Rs 69,400 in cash to a Punjab-based family after it was seized as part of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) rules. The family had come from Punjab on a vacation to the state’s Nilgiris.
The election officials had recovered the cash from the family during a vehicle check on Sunday as part of the Model Code of Conduct rules. The Lok Sabha elections will be held in seven phases from April 19 to June 1. The counting of votes will take place on June 4.
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The Model Code of Conduct came into effect when the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the Lok Sabha elections' dates on March 16.
Later, a video of the incident reportedly showed a woman, carrying her child, breaking down and pleading with the officials to return the money. In the video, both the woman and her husband are pleading with the officials that they were unaware of the Model Code of Conduct rules that came into effect due to the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. On the other hand, the officials explain to the family about Model Code of Conduct rules.
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Later, the Nilgiris assistant returning officer reportedly on Monday verified the documents of the tourists and returned the amount that was seized by the election officials.
Model Code of Conduct rule on carrying cash or any expensive item:
As per ECI, any individual carrying cash exceeding Rs 50,000, and new items worth over Rs 10,000 will be seized. The measure has been implemented with an aim to curb the misuse of cash for electoral influence.
The individual will get back the money or article if he or she carries valid documents and declares that the items seized are not connected to the elections.
However, if the seized amount is over Rs 10 lakh, the cash will be sent to the Income Tax Department for further investigation.
