Thrissur: The election squad seized Rs 25 lakh unaccounted cash from a car during a vehicle inspection near Kerala Kalamandalam, Cheruthuruthi, here on Tuesday. Officials detained the money after the vehicle’s occupants, residents of Kulappully in Shornur, failed to produce valid documentation for the cash.

The squad was conducting a routine checks while they stopped a Kia car with the registration number KL 51 P 4500 at Cheruthuruthi. Upon inspection, officials found the cash stashed inside the car, prompting further inquiry. The money was seized, and the vehicle is now in custody.

The squad is investigating whether the money was intended for election-related activities in the nearby Chelakkara constituency. Although the occupants claimed that the cash was for purchase-related purposes in Ernakulam, authorities did not accept this explanation. The election team will examine the political affiliations and bank account details of those involved to determine the source of the money and intended use.