Terror-funding drying up? Rs 5 lakh cash in old notes seized in Naxal-hit Kanker

In the second such seizure in five days, unaccountedcash of over Rs 5 lakh, most of it in now- defunct notes, have been recovered a man in Chhattisgarh's insurgency-hit Kanker district with security forces suspecting a Maoist link to it.

The man was intercepted when he was travelling in a bus yesterday, a senior police official said today.

Based on a specific input, Parimal Vishwas was intercepted when he was travelling in the bus through Durgkondal police station area and cash worth Rs 5,11,900 was found with him, the official told PTI.

While Rs 5.11 lakh was in denominations of banned Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, the rest was in Rs 100 currency, he added.

During interrogation, 43-year-old Vishwas, a native of Basantpur area in adjoining Rajnandgaon district, said he was travelling to Pakhanjore (Kanker) with the cash to meet some family expenses but was unable to explain its source, he said.

Following inputs that post-demonetisation of high value notes, Naxals may use their supporters or villagers to dispose of their cash and get it exchanged, security forces have been put on an alert in Bastar region, a Moist hotbed.

Checks are being conducted to intercept unaccounted cash in Naxal-affected areas, he said.

In this backdrop, there was a specific input about shifting of cash mostly in demonetised notes from Kanker to Gadchiroli in adjoining Maharashtra via Pakhanjore for getting it exchanged with valid currency.

Following this, a joint team of BSF and local police swung into action and intercepted the bus in which Vishwas was travelling close to Durgkondal Police Station, around 200km from here, the official said.

The cash was kept in a bag he was carrying, he said, adding it could be part of funds used for Naxalite activities though investigation was on to ascertain its exact source.

The money was confiscated and the man was allowed to go, the official said, adding Income Tax Department will be roped in for further probe.

Police had recoveredunaccounted cash of Rs 44.25 lakh, in denominations of old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, and jewellery worth Rs 2 lakh from a man in Naxal-affected Kondagaon district on November 11.