Over Rs 6 lakh recovered from Cong leaders' room

Police on Thursday morning recovered Rs.6.40 lakh from the hotel room of Congress leaders in Bihar's Begusarai town, a few hours ahead of an election rally of party president Sonia Gandhi for the ongoing assembly polls.

Police on Thursday morning recovered Rs.6.40 lakh from the hotel room of Congress leaders in Bihar's Begusarai town, a few hours ahead of an election rally of party president Sonia Gandhi for the ongoing assembly polls.

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A police team raided a hotel room of Bihar Youth Congress president Lalan Kumar and Sagar Raika, who is in-charge of the party's Bihar affairs, and recovered the money.

A police official in Begusarai said over phone that the police was informed that the Congress leaders were using money to influence voters and entice people into attending Gandhi's rally in Begusarai, around 96 km from Patna, Thursday.

However, Congress leaders denied that money was being used to influence voters. "It was for party candidates to spend in the elections," Lalan Kumar said.

Begusarai Superintendent of Police Vinay Kumar said a first information report (FIR) was lodged against five Congress leaders for violation of the model code of conduct. "The Congress leaders were detained and later released," he added.

Bihar is voting to elect a 243-member assembly in six-phased polls that started Oct 21 and will end Nov 20.