RPF arrests Maharashtra man at Howrah with ₹67 lakh cash ahead of Bengal polls
Synopsis
An RPF patrol at Howrah station caught a Maharashtra resident carrying ₹67 lakh in bundled notes he could not account for — a seizure that sits at the intersection of routine election-season surveillance and West Bengal's politically charged October by-elections in Nandigram and Rejinagar.
Key Takeaways
RPF arrested Sujit Kale , a resident of Solapur, Maharashtra , at Howrah station on the night of 21 September 2026 .
Approximately ₹67 lakh in bundled cash was recovered from his bag; he could not produce source documents.
Kale claimed the money was meant to buy gold and silver from Burrabazar, Kolkata , but officials were not satisfied with his explanation.
The Income Tax Department has been informed and will take custody of the cash and the accused.
The arrest comes amid heightened surveillance ahead of Durga Puja and Assembly by-elections in Nandigram and Rejinagar on 6 October .
The Railway Protection Force (RPF) arrested a Maharashtra resident at Howrah station in West Bengal on 21 September 2026 after recovering approximately ₹67 lakh in bundled cash from his bag, officials said. The suspect, identified as Sujit Kale of Solapur, Maharashtra, could not provide a satisfactory explanation for the source of the money and was taken into custody.
How the arrest unfolded
On Sunday night, RPF personnel conducting routine surveillance at the New Complex of Howrah station noticed Kale behaving suspiciously. When questioned, his responses failed to satisfy the officers, prompting a search of his bag. The search yielded ₹67 lakh in bundled currency notes.
During interrogation, Kale claimed to run a shop in the Gaya Township area and said he had arrived at Howrah aboard the Mumbai Mail. He told officials he had brought the cash to purchase gold and silver from Burrabazar in Kolkata. However, he could not produce any documents substantiating the source of the funds, and RPF officials found his account unconvincing.
Income Tax Department informed
Following the arrest, the Income Tax Department was notified. According to officials, both the recovered cash and the arrested individual are to be handed over to the Income Tax Department for further investigation. No formal charges under a specific statute have been publicly detailed yet.
Heightened surveillance ahead of Durga Puja and by-elections
Authorities noted that the interception is part of a broader clampdown linked to two concurrent events: the approaching Durga Puja festive season and the upcoming Assembly by-elections in Nandigram and Rejinagar constituencies scheduled for 6 October. Special checks on large cash movements have been intensified at railway and metro stations across the state. Naka checking is also under way on highways to intercept cash transfers in poll-bound constituencies — a standard Election Commission-mandated protocol to curb the use of unaccounted money during elections.
Broader context
Cash seizures at transit hubs ahead of elections have become increasingly common in West Bengal, with enforcement agencies deploying flying squads and station-level surveillance teams in the weeks preceding polling. This is the latest in a series of such interceptions as authorities attempt to prevent undisclosed funds from influencing the electoral process. The Nandigram constituency, in particular, carries significant political symbolism given its history of high-profile contests.
The case now moves to the Income Tax Department, whose investigators will determine whether tax evasion or undeclared income provisions apply.
Point of View
And enforcement agencies are under visible pressure to demonstrate neutrality. A ₹67 lakh cash haul from an out-of-state traveller who cannot document its source fits a recognisable pattern — but whether it is election-related money movement or legitimate business cash remains unproven and must be established by the Income Tax Department, not assumed. The broader question is whether this level of surveillance infrastructure, deployed selectively around elections, is adequate as a systemic deterrent or primarily serves optics.
NationPress
21 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was arrested at Howrah station with ₹67 lakh in cash?
Sujit Kale , a resident of Solapur, Maharashtra , was arrested by the Railway Protection Force at Howrah station on the night of 21 September 2026. He was found carrying approximately ₹67 lakh in bundled notes and could not explain the source of the funds.
Why was Sujit Kale arrested by the RPF?
Kale was arrested because he failed to provide a satisfactory explanation for the large amount of cash or produce any supporting documents. He claimed the money was intended for purchasing gold and silver from Burrabazar in Kolkata, but RPF officials found his account unconvincing.
What will happen to the seized cash and the arrested person?
Both the ₹67 lakh in recovered cash and Sujit Kale are to be handed over to the Income Tax Department, which will investigate whether tax evasion or undeclared income provisions apply.
Why is surveillance heightened at railway stations in West Bengal right now?
Authorities have stepped up checks ahead of two concurrent events: the Durga Puja festive season and the Assembly by-elections in Nandigram and Rejinagar scheduled for 6 October 2026. Special squads are monitoring large cash movements at railway and metro stations and on highways leading to poll-bound constituencies.
What is the significance of the Nandigram and Rejinagar by-elections?
The two constituencies are holding Assembly by-elections on 6 October 2026. Nandigram carries particular political weight in West Bengal given its history of high-profile electoral contests. Enforcement agencies are conducting cash-seizure drives as part of standard Election Commission protocols to curb undisclosed funds during polling.
