Pistol search leads to seizure of nearly Rs 3 crore unaccounted cash from taxi driver's house in Madhya Pradesh

Key points

• The family has also maintained that Ramesh lives in Bhopal and works as an engineer with the Public Works Department.
• While his brother drives a three-wheeler, police said Saurabh Ahirwar works as a taxi driver.
• Police regularly monitor social media profiles of people suspected of criminal activity or those displaying weapons online.
• The Gopalganj case led police to the residence of Saurabh Ahirwar.

BHOPAL: What started as a routine police verification into an Instagram post showing a pistol led to the surprise seizure of almost Rs 3 crore in unaccounted cash from the home of a taxi and autorickshaw driver in Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar district.

The cash was seized from the Tili Tigadda area under Gopalganj police station on Sunday evening during a police drive to identify social media accounts featuring photographs and videos of people posing with firearms, knives and other weapons.

According to Sagar district police sources, police regularly monitor social media profiles of people suspected of criminal activity or those displaying weapons online. During the exercise on Sunday, officers identified two Instagram profiles carrying photographs of pistols. Verification was subsequently undertaken in two separate cases—one in the Moti Nagar police station area and the other in Gopalganj.

The Gopalganj case led police to the residence of Saurabh Ahirwar. Officers had gone there to question him about the pistol seen in the photograph and to search for the firearm. However, no pistol was identified at the house.

What happened

During the search, police noticed a locked cupboard. When the family was asked to open it, they allegedly said they did not have the key. After completing the required formalities and preparing a panchnama, police opened the cupboard in the presence of witnesses.

Inside, they found bags containing bundles of currency notes. The quantity of cash was large enough for police to bring in a counting machine. The money was subsequently seized under videography and in the presence of independent witnesses.

“The cupboard was opened in the presence of the family and witnesses after following the prescribed procedure. A bag containing a large quantity of currency was identified inside,” Sagar district police superintendent Anurag Sujania said.

Police said the counting process indicated that the recovered amount was close to Rs 3 crore. The seizure has now prompted an investigation into the ownership and source of the money.

The details

While his brother drives a three-wheeler, police said Saurabh Ahirwar works as a taxi driver. The brothers have told investigators that the cash does not belong to them. They have claimed that it belongs to a relative, Ramesh Ahirwar. This person allegedly left the capital in the cupboard eight to nine months ago.

The family has also maintained that Ramesh lives in Bhopal and works as an engineer with the Public Works Department. As well as the source of the cash, are being independently verified, police said these claims. Further legal action will depend on the outcome of the investigation.