Over Rs. 350 crore cash seized from Congress MP-linked distillery
The Income Tax Department has so far seized Rs. 353 crore in cash from properties of an Odisha-based distillery group across three states. The agency's raids began on Wednesday. According to I-T officials, this is also reportedly the biggest-ever cash seizure by any agency in a single operation. The properties under the tax department's scanner are linked to the Congress's Rajya Sabha MP Dhiraj Kumar Sahu.
Why does this story matter?
Since Wednesday, the I-T Department has raided several locations linked to Boudh Distillery Private Limited (BDPL) in Odisha, Jharkhand, and West Bengal on suspicion of tax evasion. Sahu's family members allegedly run this major Odisha-based alcohol manufacturing business. While his elder brother, Uday Shanker Prasad, is the company's chairman, his son, Ritesh Sahu, is the managing director of BDPL.
I-T Department seizes Rs. 353 crore during raids
By Sunday evening, officials of State Bank of India (SBI) branches in Odisha's Titlagarh, Sambalpur, and Bolangir reportedly counted all the seized cash using over three dozen note-counting machines and 80 personnel. While Rs. 48.5 crore was counted at SBI's Sambalpur and Titlagarh branches, at least 50 employees managed to count over Rs. 305 crore at the bank's main branch in Bolangir, per Hindustan Times.
Top SBI official provides details on cash-counting process
SBI Regional Manager Bhagat Behera revealed that 176 bags of currency in Rs. 100, Rs. 200, and Rs. 500 denominations were brought to the Bolangir branch from BDPL's office in Sudapada. "Battling fatigue and machine breakdown, the staff have been busy counting (the seized cash) throughout the day and night, barring toilet breaks," the SBI official added.
BJP attacks Congress over I-T raids
The raids have also stirred a political row, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launching relentless attacks on the Congress. On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared a news report regarding the I-T Department's raids and said, "Every penny looted from people will have to be returned." Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated crores of rupees were recovered, but the opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc, of which the Congress is akey constituent, was silent.
Check out Shah's remarks regarding I-T raids
Congress distances itself, says Sahu should explain
Amid the saffron brigade's barrage of attacks on the Congress over the issue concerning Sahu, the grand old party clarified that it has no links to the MP's businesses. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh earlier said that only Sahu could and should explain how I-T Department officials unearthed so much money from properties linked to him.
