Gorakhpur GRP seizes ₹1 crore cash suspected for Bihar poll funding; one held

The Government Railway Police (GRP) on Friday detained a man carrying nearly ₹1 crore in cash at Gorakhpur railway station, suspected to be linked to election funding in Bihar, police sources confirmed on Saturday.

The arrested individual, identified as Mukund Madhav, a resident of Ramcharan Tola, Mokama (Patna), initially attempted to mislead investigators by claiming the money belonged to an IAS officer named Gaurav Kumar from Bargadwa, Gorakhpur. However, during interrogation, he later admitted that the so-called IAS officer was fictitious.

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Investigators suspect the seized cash was intended for electioneering and propaganda in the Mokama Assembly constituency, where several strongman candidates are contesting. GRP officials, along with the Income Tax Department and the Local Intelligence Unit (LIU), are probing whether the funds were part of a larger operation to influence voters.

According to GRP Inspector Anuj Singh, officers noticed a suspicious man loitering near the station with a large bag. When questioned, he hesitated and initially claimed the bag belonged to an IAS officer named Gaurav Kumar. Upon further questioning, he changed his statements multiple times—first saying the bag contained ₹10 lakh, then ₹50 lakh.

When the bag was opened, officers found bundles of ₹500 notes. The cash was counted using machines at the
State Bank of India (SBI) branch, amounting to ₹99,09,000. The money was immediately seized, and the Income Tax Department was notified.

Mukund later revealed that Gaurav Kumar, who had posed as an IAS officer, had handed him the money to deliver to Mokama. Preliminary checks, however, found no record of any such officer in government service. Police now suspect he is part of a larger network involved in illegal election financing.

The LIU has begun tracing Gaurav’s location and mapping his contacts. Officials said the cash appeared to be
benami (unaccounted), and investigations are focusing on how and why such a large sum was being transferred from Gorakhpur to Bihar.

The GRP confirmed that Bihar Police has been alerted. Teams from Mokama and Patna are now probing the network behind the transaction. The Income Tax Department is examining bank trails, mobile call records, and possible hawala or election funding links.

If evidence confirms money laundering or foreign exchange violations, agencies may invoke the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Mukund, currently in custody, is being questioned further. His mobile phone, travel tickets, and personal documents have been seized. Investigators believe the case could uncover a major illegal cash flow network tied to election activities in Bihar.