The State Election Commission has launched an inquiry to ascertain the ownership of a car carrying Rs.2.5 crore cash and involved in a fire mishap at Suryapet in Nalgonda district.
Chief Electoral Officer Bhanwarlal told newsmen that the Innova car which got burnt was carrying cash bundles of Rs.1000 and Rs.500 denomination notes totaling Rs, 2.5 crores.
According to preliminary investigations by the police, who reached the spot near a road-side dhaba and put out the fire in the vehicle, the cash bundles were found concealed in the bonnet. The vehicle bearing number AP 09 BT 8289 displayed a sticker of an MLA in the name of N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, TPCC Working President and sitting MLA of Huzurnagar Assembly constituency. He is seeking re-election from the same constituency.
Due to over heating of the engine, fire broke out in the bonnet and engulfed the hidden cash. Four persons who came in the vehicle and were eating in the dhaba were panicked on noticing the fire in the vehicle and ran away from the spot on noticing the arrival of the police. The partly burnt and damaged cash bundles were seized by the police after putting out the fire in the vehicle.
Since the burnt vehicle carried the sticker of a Congress MLA who was also a former minister, the police are investigating to ascertain the true identity of the owner of the vehicle as the records of the Transport Department showed that it was registered in the name of a company in the year 2009.(NSS)
