Income Tax officials seized approximately ₹9 crore in unaccounted cash from a Kerala-registered vehicle near the Veeransandra signal in Bengaluru's Electronic City on Friday, 21 August, after acting on specific intelligence about illegal cash transportation. The car was intercepted by Electronic City police following a tip-off from the Income Tax Department, marking one of the largest single-vehicle cash seizures in the area in recent memory.

How the Seizure Unfolded

The Income Tax Department alerted local police after receiving credible information that a large sum of unaccounted money was being transported in the vehicle. Officers intercepted and searched the car near Veeransandra, where they discovered and seized the cash. Preliminary information indicates the money reportedly belonged to a gold jeweller who owns a jewellery shop and is said to be a native of Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu.

Separately, Income Tax officials also conducted a search at the jeweller's residence, where an additional ₹1.35 crore in cash was allegedly recovered, bringing the total amount found in connection with the individual to over ₹10 crore.

Jeweller Taken Into Custody

The gold shop owner has been detained for questioning in connection with the seizure. Income Tax investigators are probing the source of the funds and the intended purpose of the transportation. The full details of the cash's origin and destination are yet to be established, according to officials.

A Pattern of Large Cash Seizures in Karnataka

This incident is the latest in a series of major unaccounted-cash recoveries across Karnataka. On 27 June, Bengaluru's Mahalakshmi Layout police recovered ₹2.98 crore in undocumented cash from a shed in Kurubarahalli, packed in four bags. The cash reportedly belonged to Nagaraj, a businessman from Tavarekere, who had allegedly stored it at a shed owned by his associate Venkatesh. Two businessmen were arrested in that case.

In a separate 2024 incident, the City Crime Branch (CCB) Police in Belagavi seized ₹2,73,27,500 hidden inside a modified cabin of a goods truck travelling from Sangli, Maharashtra to Hubballi, Karnataka on the Pune-Bengaluru national highway. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Rohan Jagadeesh confirmed that a CCB team led by Inspector Nandeshwar Kumbar apprehended the vehicle after receiving credible intelligence. Two accused — Sachin Menkudale and Maruti Murgod, both residents of Sangli — were arrested.

What Investigators Are Probing

Authorities are now focused on establishing the trail of the ₹9 crore — specifically, who commissioned the transportation, where the cash was headed, and whether it is linked to tax evasion or other financial offences. The use of an out-of-state, Kerala-registered vehicle to move the funds is also a point of interest for investigators. Further developments in the case are expected as the inquiry progresses.