The Election Commission (EC) officials have found that in the money-spinning state of Karnataka, the ruling Janata Dal-Secular JD(S) and Congress were using police escort vehicles for cash transportation. Two major incidents were spotted –

The Public Works and Distribution (PWD) Minister H D Revanna using police vehicles to transport money while travelling in Hassan, where his son Prajwal is contesting and this was reported with police vehicle numbers by the Special Officer (Enforcement) deputed by the EC. An Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Shashi Kumar, who is currently posted in Bangalore as the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) North was spotted in Gulbarga, campaigning for Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge. The Election Commission officials also reported that, Shashi Kumar used police vehicles to ferry money for Kharge.

Karnataka is Congress ATM

“I am reporting the following serious case of cash recovery of Rs.1.2 lakhs by the district FST-48 from Innova vehicle No: KA 01 MH 4477 owned by the Bengaluru Police. The same was brought to my notice by the Superintend of Police Hassan… The said vehicle belongs to Bengaluru City Police and registered in the name of the Deputy Commissioner of Police.

“The above incident is extremely serious as it, prima facie, reveals use of police vehicle for carrying money for misuse in elections,” said the report filed by Munish Moudgil, IAS about how money was transferred by former Prime Minister Deve Gowda’s son and Chief Minister Kumaraswamy’s elder brother and PWD Minister H D Revanna to his son contesting constituency using Police escort vehicles illegally.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament (MP) Rajeev Chandrasekhar has uploaded this report in his Tweet. He also accused that the Chief Minister and Congress President Rahul Gandhi’s police escort vehicles were also used to ferry money:

Evidnce tht @hd_kumaraswamy n @RahulGandhi were using Police vehicles to move cash whn IT raids started. An IAS officr has reportd to @ceo_karnataka and FIR filed. Shameless, brazen n criminal misuse of institutns by this #Mahamilavat. Needs investigatn by EC thru CBI pic.twitter.com/TnOvGvm4Ei — Chowkidar Rajeev Chandrasekhar ?? (@rajeev_mp) April 26, 2019

Mallikarjun Kharge also used services of crony police officers to ferry money

The Election Commission’s field officials reported that Kharge was also using the services of state police machinery to avoid checking of ferrying cash. They reported that Kharge’s “crony officer” Shashi Kumar is the kingpin in these illegal operations. He is currently posted as a DCP in Bangalore North. “After completing elections in Bangalore, on April 18th, he took leave and went to Gulbarga. He was seen campaigning for Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress candidate and distributed money in his police vehicle. Using police vehicle was a clever ploy to avoid checking,” said senior Election Commission official monitoring malpractices.

Shashi Kumar was Superintend of Police in Gulbarga for three years and joined as DCP in Bangalore in February. Though BJP leaders complained to Chief Electoral Officer about this blatant illegality, no First Information Report (FIR) has been registered yet and the opposition leaders are planning to complain to Chief Election Commissioner about the misuse of state police machinery by ruling Congress and JD(S).