Two Maharashtra men held with unaccounted ₹86 lakh in Wayanad

Wayanad: Excise officials on Wednesday seized ₹86.58 lakh in unaccounted cash from two men from Maharashtra during a routine inspection at the Tholpetty checkpost on the Kerala–Karnataka border.

The accused have been identified as Thukkaram Nigam (24), a native of Karva Chinchani in Sangli, and Umesh Pattel (25) from Soregaon in Sangli, Maharashtra. They were travelling on a KSRTC bus bound for Kozhikode when the cash was found.

The operation was led by Mananthavady Excise Circle Inspector Baiju S and the Interstate Checkpost Special Team headed by Excise Preventive Officer Johny K. Officials said the two men failed to produce valid documents for the money in their possession.

The total cash seized amounted to ₹85,58,250. The amount and the accused have been handed over to the Income Tax Department for further investigation.

Other members of the excise team included Excise Preventive Officer Arun Prasad, Civil Excise Officers Rajesh K Thomas and Sudeep B, and driver Shimjith.

Earlier this month, the Excise Department had seized ₹1.36 crore in a similar raid near Meenangadi along the Mysuru–Kozhikode National Highway, under the supervision of Deputy Excise Commissioner, Wayanad.