Police Seizes 10.25 lakh from Filmmaker Jha’s Guest House

In yet another case of violation of Election Code of Conduct, noted filmmaker and Lok Janshakti Party candidate from West Champaran seat Prakash Jha was arrested on Wednesday after police raided his guest house and allegedly seized Rs10.25 lakh on reports that he was distributing money among voters.

In the raid conducted around midnight, West Champaran Superintendent of Police K S Anupam led a team of local police and central paramilitary forces, reportedly confiscated the money and captured 29 persons, including Jha.

Anupam said that all the 29, later freed on furnishing personal bonds, 29 were booked under section 171-G (false statement in connection with an election), 171-H (illegal payment in connection with an election) and 171-I (failure to keep election accounts),

However, the filmmaker declined that the money was intended for distribution among the voters, clarifying that it was like small change kept at the guest house close to the Maurya sugar factory that he is building and the money was to be paid to the labourers and other employees of the factory.

Jha accused Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi of acting with vendetta against him to tarnish his image.