The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested alleged hawala operator and JDS leader K C Veerendra on Tuesday in connection with seizure of Rs 5.7 crore in new currency from a bathroom safe in Chitradurga district in Karnataka.
The Income Tax (I-T) department recovered Rs 5.7 crore cash in new notes secretly stashed inside the bathroom tiles of the alleged hawala dealer.
Officials said the taxmen raided the premises based on intelligence inputs about the presence of a huge amount of cash. The sleuths were startled to find a cleverly hidden stainless steel safe above the wash basin, inside the tiled walls of the bathroom.
The cash stash of Rs 5.7 crore, all in new Rs 2,000 notes, 28 kg of bullion (gold biscuits), 4 kg of other gold and jewellery was stuffed inside this bathroom safe, which was kept sanitised against termites using hundreds of mothballs.
Agency sources said the CBI has registered a case against officials of four banks – State Bank of India, State Bank of Mysore, ICICI Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank.
(With Inputs from PTI)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)