Breaking his silence after 10 days, Congress MP Dhiraj Sahu spoke out about the record ₹350 crore in cash seized from premises linked to him, stating that the money recovered belongs to his family’s businesses and is not directly his. The cash, recovered from a series of Income Tax raids on Boudh Distillery Pvt Ltd and associated entities owned by Sahu’s family, has sparked a political firestorm, with the BJP using the incident to accuse the Congress of corruption.

The Largest Cash Seizure in Indian History

The Income Tax searches, which began on December 6 and concluded recently in Odisha and Jharkhand, resulted in the seizure of ₹353.5 crore in cash. This amount marks the largest single seizure ever made by any investigative agency in India, attracting national attention and political commentary, including jabs from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Dhiraj Sahu’s Defense Amidst Political Accusations

In his statement to ANI, Sahu, a Rajya Sabha MP from Jharkhand, expressed his hurt over the allegations. He emphasized that the seized money is from the family’s century-old liquor business, which he has little involvement in, as his focus has been on politics. He mentioned that his large joint family, including six brothers and their children, manage various aspects of the business.

Clarifying the Source of the Seized Funds

Sahu asserted that the cash is from sales in the liquor business, which predominantly occurs in cash. He stressed that the money has no links to the Congress or any other political party, and belongs to his family’s companies. He also mentioned that some of the firms are owned by his relatives and clarified that no money was recovered from the premises of Boudh Distillery Pvt Ltd.

Cooperation with the Authorities

The MP added that his family members are prepared to provide clarifications to the Income Tax department if needed and will fully cooperate with the authorities.

  Boudh Distillery, Congress, Dhiraj Sahu, India, Odisha