Hours before voting began for the Delhi Assembly elections, two employees associated with the Delhi chief minister’s office were detained by the Delhi Police after officials recovered ₹5 lakh cash from their possession. The incident took place on Tuesday, triggering a political controversy just ahead of polling in the national capital’s 70 constituencies.
According to Delhi Police officials, the action was taken following a tip-off that certain individuals were allegedly carrying cash. Acting on this information, a Flying Squad Team (FST) was dispatched to the location, where the two individuals were caught with the money. Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) South East, Ravi Kumar Singh, stated that the detained men were identified as Gaurav and Ajit, both linked to the chief minister’s office. Preliminary investigation suggested that one of them worked as an assistant to the CM’s personal assistant, while the other was a driver.
“We received a call that some people were caught with ₹5 lakh. Our team reached the location, and the FST team handed over two men, namely Gaurav and Ajit, who are attached to the Delhi CM’s office, as per the preliminary information. We have seized ₹5 lakh from them, and further investigation is underway to determine the source of the money, where it was brought from, and where it was being taken,” DCP Ravi Kumar Singh told news agency ANI.
Further details about the case emerged when the District Election Officer (DEO) and District Magistrate (DM) of South-East Delhi confirmed the incident on social media platform X. According to the statement, the FST team found the two individuals inside a car with ₹5 lakh cash. One of the detainees, Gaurav, reportedly claimed that the money was received from Pankaj, personal assistant to Delhi Minister Atishi, for booth management in Giri Nagar, Kalkaji constituency. The cash has been seized, and the police are carrying out further investigations into the matter.
The incident has sparked political discussions as the elections in Delhi are set to witness a high-stakes contest. More than 1.56 crore voters are eligible to cast their votes from 7 am on Wednesday, with polling being conducted across 13,766 stations. A total of 699 candidates are contesting in this crucial election that could redefine the political scenario of the national capital.
The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is eyeing a third consecutive term, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is making a strong push to reclaim Delhi after over 25 years. The Congress, which once held power in Delhi for 15 consecutive years until 2013, is striving to make a comeback after failing to secure a single seat in the last two assembly elections.
As voting progresses, the seizure of cash linked to individuals associated with the chief minister’s office has added another layer of controversy to the already intense political battle. With the Election Commission and law enforcement agencies closely monitoring the situation, all eyes are now on how the voters of Delhi respond and shape the future leadership of the capital.
