Kolkata, 02 October (H.S.) : In yet another major seizure of unaccounted money, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) at Howrah railway station intercepted a passenger arriving from Madhya Pradesh and recovered Rs 44 lakh in cash from his luggage. Failing to produce any valid documentation or legitimate explanation regarding the large sum, the passenger was detained and subsequently handed over to Income Tax Department officials. Following a series of similar cash seizures in recent days, railway authorities have significantly stepped up surveillance and security protocols across the station premises.

According to an official statement issued by the RPF on Friday morning, the incident took place on Thursday after the down Shipra Express pulled into platform number 17. An on-duty RPF intelligence team grew suspicious of the movements of a passenger, later identified as Rohit Singh, a resident of Vidisha in Madhya Pradesh. Upon intercepting him and searching his bag, officers uncovered wads of currency notes totaling Rs 44 lakh.

During preliminary questioning, Singh claimed that he had brought the cash to Kolkata to purchase gold. However, he failed to furnish any commercial paperwork, receipts, or legitimate proof of the funds to corroborate his claim. The RPF confiscated the entire sum and alerted the Income Tax Department. Tax authorities promptly arrived at Howrah station to take custody of the seized currency and detain the passenger. An in-depth investigation has been launched to determine the actual origin of the funds and ascertain whether the transaction is linked to hawala networks or an inter-state illegal syndicate.

This marks the third major seizure of unaccounted wealth at Howrah station within a brief span. In the final week of September, RPF personnel intercepted Sujit Kale, a resident of Maharashtra, recovering approximately Rs 67 lakh in cash. Days later, another passenger arriving aboard the Vande Bharat Express was nabbed at the station's old complex with Rs 21 lakh in cash and gold. In light of these recurring incidents, security has been placed on high alert at Howrah station, with security personnel conducting rigorous bag checks and continuous profiling of suspicious passengers.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh