Assembly polls: Increased vigil at inter-state border points in coastal Karnataka

Mangaluru: The Dakshina Kannada (DK) district administration has heightened vigil at the border points with Kerala to prevent flow of money and freebies to Karnataka ahead of the assembly elections next month.

Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner M R Ravi Kumar on Sunday said 10 check posts have been set up at the inter-state border points with Kerala. In all, 27 checkpoints have been set up in Dakshina Kannada including inter-district and local check posts.

He said all measures are being taken to ensure effective implementation of the Model Code of Conduct with the help of police and other departments.

A police team seized unaccounted cash from a Kerala-based man who was carrying the money without proper documents when his vehicle was intercepted at one such check post.

The Election Commission has appointed DK Zilla Panchayat CEO Kumar as the district nodal officer to ensure the code of conduct is being followed. Nodal officers have also been posted for each of the eight assembly constituencies in the coastal district. The DC directed the owners of malls, halls, auditoriums and theatres not to allow conduct of programmes of political parties without prior permission from the district election office. City Police Commissioner Kuldeep Kumar R Jain also warned that strict legal action will be taken in cases of violations of the Model Code of Conduct.

Police confiscated Rs 7.95 lakh cash from one Suresh, a resident of neighbouring Kasaragod district in Kerala. The money was found when the police were checking vehicles at Talapady border point between Kerala and Karnataka on Saturday.

The seized cash and the impounded car were handed over to the Election Commission officer for investigation.

A preliminary probe revealed that Suresh, who works as a fabricator, brought the cash to buy materials from Mangaluru. A case will be registered if the seized cash is found to have any link with the elections, police said. In another incident, Bantwal rural police seized a lorry laden with rice without proper documents from Farangipet in the district on Friday night.

The police confiscated 300 bags of rice, each weighing 50 kg, totalling 15,000 kg and worth Rs 6 lakh from the accused. In addition, the lorry was also impounded, police further said Karnataka goes to the polls on May 10 and counting will take place on May 13.