NEW DELHI: The Income Tax Department raided an Odisha-based distillery company, on Monday, linked to Congress MP Dheeraj Prasad Sahuโs family, recovering Rs 355 crore demarcating it as the โhighest everโ single action haul by any probe agency in the country.
The search operation, initiated on December 6, targeted properties associated with Boudh Distillery Private Limited, its promoters, and other stakeholders. The accounting process involved more than 50 employees of the State Bank of India (SBI) using over 25 machines. During the counting, a few machines had also started malfunctioning due to overheating.
FLASH: IT raids in Odishaโs Bolangir district reveal staggering cash seizures totaling Rs 305 crore.
The โhighest-everโ single-action haul prompts intense counting efforts with 25 machines and 50 bank staff involved.
Raids span Sudpada distillery, Dhanupali liquor unit, andโฆ pic.twitter.com/R82RYFVuaK
โ The New Indian (@TheNewIndian_in) December 10, 2023
The seized cash, transported using 200 bags and trunks, was deposited in various bank branches across Odisha. The milestone was achieved with the department deeming the entire recovered cache as โunaccountedโ money earned from country liquor sales by the stakeholders.
The raids also covered premises related to Sahu, with the company and the MP remaining silent on the ongoing investigations. Presently, the I-T department is recording statements of company executives and the staff present during the searches, and has also planned to summon the main promoters of the company for further inquiry.
ALSO READ: I-T raids linked to Odisha Congress MP unearth Rs 290 cr
As the counting continues in Ranchi and Bolangir, the probe agency has assured a thorough assessment before concluding the operation. Home Minister Amit Shah criticised the oppositionโs โpropagandaโ on central agencies, asserting that it was driven by fears of their corruption being exposed.
เคฆเฅเคถเคตเคพเคธเฅ เคเคจ เคจเฅเคเฅเค เคเฅ เคขเฅเคฐ เคเฅ เคฆเฅเคเฅเค เคเคฐ เคซเคฟเคฐ เคเคจเคเฅ เคจเฅเคคเคพเคเค เคเฅ เคเคฎเคพเคจเคฆเคพเคฐเฅ เคเฅ โเคญเคพเคทเคฃเฅเคโ เคเฅ เคธเฅเคจเฅเคโฆ ๐๐๐
เคเคจเคคเคพ เคธเฅ เคเฅ เคฒเฅเคเคพ เคนเฅ, เคเคธเคเฅ เคชเคพเค-เคชเคพเค เคฒเฅเคเคพเคจเฅ เคชเคกเคผเฅเคเฅ, เคฏเคน เคฎเฅเคฆเฅ เคเฅ เคเคพเคฐเคเคเฅ เคนเฅเฅค
โโโ๐ต ๐ต ๐ตโโโ pic.twitter.com/O2pEA4QTOj
โ Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 8, 2023
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday assured the people that the money looted from the public will be returned.
Taking to X, the PM said, โThe countrymen should look at the pile of these notes and then listen to the honest speeches of their leadersโฆ Whatever has been looted from the public, every penny will have to be returned; this is Modiโs guarantee.โ
The Congress has distanced itself from its Jharkhand MP, although Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah accused the Centre of targeting only the Congress, prompting Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy to question Rahul Gandhiโs silence.
โThe Indian National Congress is in no way connected with the businesses of Dheeraj Sahu, MP. Only he can explain and should explain how huge amounts of cash have been reportedly unearthed by the income-tax authorities from his properties,โ AICC general secretary Communications Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X.
Officials from the I-T Department confirmed that the raids were underway at nine locations across Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal. They are slated to interrogate the Congress MP after the accounting of seizures was over with in Ranchi.
เคเคพเคเคเฅเคฐเฅเคธ เคเฅ เคญเฅเคฐเคทเฅเคเคพเคเคพเคฐ เคเฅ เคจเฅเคเฅเค เคเฅ เคเคฟเคจเคคเฅ เคเคคเฅเคฎ เคนเฅ เคจเคนเฅเค เคนเฅ เคฐเคนเฅ เคนเฅ! #CongressWithCorruption https://t.co/wX2Yz9W2ut pic.twitter.com/4Ld9rIwMoT
โ Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) December 11, 2023
