The income tax department’s raids on premises linked to Congress Rajya Sabha MP Dhiraj Sahu have led to a stunning cash discovery totaling ₹353 crore, marking this as one of the largest single-cash hauls in a raid operation. The raid, spanning across locations in Odisha, Jharkhand, and West Bengal, uncovered stacks of notes concealed in almirah racks at Boudh Distilleries Private Limited’s properties.
Commencing on Wednesday, the counting of the seized cash, dispersed over multiple locations, concluded on Sunday. However, the involvement of the Congress MP has escalated the situation into a political controversy. Neither the MP nor the company has issued any statement regarding the discovered amount of cash.
The Congress party, distancing itself from the MP’s business affairs, emphasized the necessity for Sahu to provide an explanation regarding this significant cash discovery.
The magnitude of the counting operation became a spectacle, involving 176 bags of cash delivered to the State Bank of India (SBI) branch for assessment. Three banks were engaged in the counting process, employing 40 currency counting machines, initially facing a shortage due to the immense volume of cash.
The counting operation, conducted by nine teams comprising approximately 80 individuals from tax departments and various banks, continued ceaselessly in round-the-clock shifts. As the operation progressed and 10 cash-stuffed almirahs were unearthed, an additional team of 200 officials, including security personnel and support staff, was summoned for assistance.
The controversy was compounded by the resurfacing of Dhiraj Sahu’s old tweet, shared by BJP’s Amit Malviya, wherein Sahu expressed astonishment at the persistence of black money post-demonetization. This sparked a string of reactions from BJP leaders, citing the tweet as a display of dark humor.
BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala raised concerns about the alleged magnitude of corruption within Congress, linking it to Sahu’s seizure and insinuating a widespread issue within the party.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi also weighed in on the situation, with Shah highlighting the potential misuse of investigative agencies and Modi emphasizing the necessity to return every seized penny to the public.
The unfolding events have not only sparked a political uproar but also raised significant questions about the alleged involvement of the Congress MP and the extent of financial impropriety.
Sources By Agencies