Record Rs 351 crore seized in Congress MP's premises during raids

The Income Tax Department has seized unaccounted cash valued at Rs 351 crore from properties associated with Congress Rajya Sabha MP Dheeraj Sahu in Odisha and Jharkhand, marking it as the 'highest-ever' black money recovery in a single operation.

The raids, which began on December 6, have resulted in the counting of 140 bags out of a total of 176 so far. Bhagat Behera, a Regional Manager of the State Bank of India, confirmed that 50 officials from three banks are participating in the counting process, using 40 machines.

He indicated that the goal is to complete the counting by the end of Sunday, as normal banking hours will resume on Monday and the machines will need to be returned. To expedite the process, additional cash-counting machines and manpower were brought in on Sunday due to the substantial amount of cash that remains uncounted. Engineers are on-site to address any technical issues that may arise with the counting machines.

On Sunday, visuals surfaced demonstrating officials counting large sums of cash retrieved from the properties of Congress MP Dheeraj Sahu. The majority of the cash was found in locations associated with Boudh Distillery Private Limited in Odisha.

It is reported that Dheeraj Sahu's extended family is involved in significant alcohol manufacturing businesses, with Sahu owning multiple such factories in Odisha. Following the cash recovery, the Congress has separated itself from Dheeraj Sahu.

AICC general secretary Communications, Jairam Ramesh, stated that the Indian National Congress has no association with Sahu's businesses and that only Sahu can and should clarify the circumstances surrounding the large cash discovery by income-tax authorities at his properties. Concurrently, the Income Tax Department officials have recorded statements from various company officials and others related to the case.

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