The Income Tax department and police have seized 52 kg of gold bars worth Rs 40 crore and over Rs 11 crore in cash from an abandoned SUV in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, an official reported on Friday.
The seizure happened during ongoing action by the Income Tax department in the city over the past few days.
Authorities received a tip-off on Thursday night about an unclaimed vehicle on Kushalpura Road with bags inside.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Priyanka Shukla said, "Someone informed the Ratibad police that an Innova Crysta had been parked there for a long time with seven to eight bags inside. A police team went to the spot."
She added that the bags were likely left behind due to the ongoing operations by various departments in the city.
The police informed the Income Tax department, and they broke the SUV's windows, recovering the gold and cash. The vehicle, registered in the MP-07 series, belonged to Chandan Singh Gaur, a Gwalior native who had been living in Bhopal for four years.
The Income Tax department is now investigating the matter.
Director General of Income Tax (Investigation) Satish K Goyal said that the vehicle was found in a forest area, and after searching it, they recovered gold bars worth Rs 40 crore and cash exceeding Rs 11 crore. The total value of the seizure is around Rs 52 crore.
It is still unclear who the gold and cash belong to, and the investigation is ongoing.
Sources said the Income Tax department has been raiding individuals connected to the real estate sector in Bhopal since Thursday, and it is suspected that the valuables may belong to those under investigation.
Opposition Leader in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, Umang Singhar, claimed that the seized gold and other items found in the raids were the result of a network between politicians and bureaucrats.
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