Telangana: Cops asked to follow Election Commission’s SoP on cash seizure

The committee must examine each seizure made by the police or statistic surveillance team or flying squad and if it concludes that the cash is not linked to political party or election campaign, it should release the amount immediately.

Hyderabad: Telangana police higher-ups, following complaints of inconvenience to general police in view seizure of cash and valuables, asked its officers to follow the Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) laid down by the Election Commission of India for seizure and release of cash or valuables.

Telangana Additional DGP (law and order) Sanjay Kumar Jain, in a communication to the Commissioners and Superintendents of Police asked them to ensure a ‘District Grievance Committee’ comprising three officials involved with the election process is formed.

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The committee must examine each seizure made by the police or statistic surveillance team or flying squad and if it concludes that the cash is not linked to political party or election campaign, it should release the amount immediately.

Sanjay Kumar asked the officers to publicise the ‘District Grievance Committee,’ and give wide publicity. The procedure of appeal against seizure should be mentioned in the seizure report and informed to the person from whom it is taken. The committee should meet once in 24 hours to decide the cases and clear it.

“In no case the matter relating to the seized cash or valuables shall be kept pending in malkhana or treasury for more than seven days after the date of poll. Also the committee should not unnecessarily keep the amount or valuables till the seventh day after the poll,” he said adding it is the responsibility for the returning officer to bring all such cases to the notice of the committee and release the cash and valuables as per order of the committee.