Karnataka Minister Murugesh Nirani, who is contesting the Assembly elections from Bilgi constituency on a BJP ticket, has been booked after 963 traditional silver lamps worth Rs 21.45 lakh were seized from the factory staff quarters under Mudhol Police Station limits on Friday.
The minister, holding the Large and Medium Scale Industries portfolio has been booked under Section 171H of the IPC related to “illegal payments in connection with an election.”.
“We have registered a case against Murugesh Nirani,” a police officer at the Mudhol police station told the media.
Silver items weighing 28kg were seized by the Mudhol police, according to Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Meena.
“The accused persons belonged to the BJP and they were from Nirani sugar factory staff quarters,” Meena told the media. Meanwhile, the daily bulletin shared by the CEO’s office showed the cumulative seizure since March 29 when the model code of conduct came into effect for May 10 Assembly elections, reached Rs 253 crore on Friday. On Friday, apart from silver from Nirani’s sugar factory, Rs 1.82 crore cash, Rs 37.64 lakh freebies and drugs worth Rs 45.25 lakh were seized. Cumulatively, Rs 82.05 crore cash, freebies worth Rs 19.69 crore, liquor worth Rs 56.67 crore, drugs worth Rs 16.55 crore, 145.55 kg gold worth Rs 73.8 crore and 610 kg silver worth Rs 4.28 crore have been seized in the poll-bound state.