The city police on Wednesday seized Rs. 10 crore of cash that was being transported in an auto-rickshaw.
According to the police, an auto-rickshaw (No. AP 09 TA 5602) was found parked on the road near the DGP's office at Lakdi-ka-Pul, by a traffic police team. The passenger and the auto-driver were shifting a bag from the parked auto to another hired auto-rickshaw. On being questioned by the police, the passenger said that he was hiring another auto-rickshaw since the one in which he was travelling had breakdown.
However, the police personnel got suspicious after finding that the auto-driver was behaving in an unusually nervous manner. When asked, the passenger told the police that there were clothes in the bag. When the police asked him to open the bag, the passenger and the auto-driver fled from the scene while abandoning the auto-rickshaw.
The abandoned auto was thoroughly checked, and the police personnel were shocked to find three boxes placed under the seat, stuffed with Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 notes amounting to Rs. 10 crore.
The officials of the Income Tax Department have been informed about the seizure. Investigations are on to ascertain whether the seized cash was real or counterfeit. (INN)