Stunning Rs 200cr cash seizure in raids linked to Congress MP Dheeraj Sahu

In a staggering turn of events, tax raids across Odisha and Jharkhand have led to the discovery of over Rs 200 crore in cash, linked to Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Dheeraj Sahu. This massive seizure, one of the largest in recent times, has sent shockwaves across the political landscape.

The Income Tax Department, which has been conducting raids on Sahu’s premises in the neighboring states since December 6, has been uncovering staggering amounts of cash. The operations were still ongoing at the time of this report. Most of the cash was recovered from premises linked to Boudh Distillery Private Limited in Odisha.

Other locations raided include Sambalpur, Bolangir, Titilagarh, Boudh, Sundargarh, Rourkela, and Bhubaneswar. More than 30 officers, along with bank staff, were involved in counting the seized money. Over eight counting machines were used, with plans to bring in three more to expedite the process. Approximately 150 packets of currency have been moved to the State Bank of India’s head branch in Bolangir.

Income Tax Director General Sanjay Bahadur, overseeing the raids in Bhubaneswar, indicated that investigations into the political connections of the seized cash are ongoing. The cash was initially found stashed in an almirah, prompting extended searches to various locations including houses, offices, and the country liquor distillery in Sundargarh city, as well as the corporate office of BDPL in Bhubaneswar and other related sites.

In the wake of this discovery, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has called for an Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe. BJP leaders have been vocal about the potential involvement of other Congress MPs in similar cases, with BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP and former Jharkhand chief Deepak Prakash sharing images from the raid and highlighting the scale of corruption.

The details emerging from this incident point to Dheeraj Sahu’s extended family’s involvement in a major alcohol manufacturing business, with several factories in Odisha. This incident underscores the complexities and challenges of political and financial accountability in India, drawing attention to the need for more rigorous oversight and transparency in political finances.