Around 4428 cases have were registered for violation of poll-related norms, 328 unlicensed weapons were seized, 46 arms licenses were cancelled, while 32,797 license holders were asked to surrender their weapons, by police after code of conduct became operative in Maharashtra from March 11onwards.
The seized material also included 81 cartridges and 8302 gelatin sticks and illicit liquor, even as the state excise department noted an increase in the stock of the liquor stored in some of the districts on the eve of polls.
In all 63,608 cases of preventive arrests were considered and an interim bond was obtained in 16,380 cases, non-bailable warrants were issued in 19,157 cases and 21,264 cases were still under consideration, official sources in the office of the chief electoral officer said.
The state excise department seized illicit liquor worth over Rs1.5 crore across the state. It included the liquor worth Rs15 lakh seized from Solapur, the liquor worth Rs 9.5 lakh and Rs 2.5 lakh from Thane and Sindhudurg respectively.
In Thane eight illegal liquor distilleries located near a creek at Moti Desai village in Mumbra were raided and hootch and related material worth Rs 6.16 lakh was seized.
Meanwhile, the state excise department has noted that some of the stockists have kept a sizable stock of the liquor on the eve of elections. For example in March last year, the stock of the country liquor in Ratnagiri was 54,581 liters, whereas this year the stock is 82,848 liters.
Last year the stock of the IMFL was 1,65,779 liters, which increased to 2,19,223 liters this year. The stock of the beer which was 2,17,939 liters increased up to 2,76,051 liters.
Meanwhile, the police are gearing up to book those involved in illicit liquor trade and manufacturing under the tough Maharashtra Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Slumlords Bootleggers and Drug Offenders Act.
Under the GR issued earlier, if the ring operators or financial beneficiaries of manufacture and sale of illicit liquor are arrested three times and if they continue committing the crime, the act can be applied on such persons.
Police and excise department officials can face action for dereliction of duty if they fail to stop activities related to illicit liquor in their jurisdiction.
In another development, Maharashtra Congress has demanded a probe into the earnings of party BJP MP Poonam Mahajan, MLA Ram Kadam, and MLC Prasad Lad.
The Congress party General Secretary Sachin Sawant said that those who were raising questions over the earnings of Congress President Rahul Gandhi should also probe the earnings of their three representatives.
He said that Mahajan had declared her assets of Rs 12 crore in 2009, including Rs 4.40 crore of immoveable assets. In 2014, she declared assets worth Rs 105 crore and the hike was 900 per cent.