Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
The Income Tax department on December 6, conducted raids across Odisha and Jharkhand, seizing unaccounted cash exceeding Rs 300 crore, reportedly linked to Congress Rajya Sabha MP from Jharkhand, Dheeraj Sahu.
As per the latest update, the cash seizure has reached ₹353 crore, marking the highest-ever black money haul by any agency in a single operation, according to official sources quoted by PTI.
The counting of the confiscated cash took 5 days and ended on Sunday. Approximately three dozen counting machines were deployed by the Income Tax department in response to the substantial amount of cash that was discovered.
Bhagat Behera, a Regional Manager at the State Bank of India, informed the ANI news agency that they had received a total of 176 bags of cash. The counting process involved the participation of 50 officials from three banks. Numerous visuals surfaced on Sunday showing officials counting stacks of cash recovered from the residences associated with Dheeraj Sahu. The majority of the cash was retrieved from locations linked to Boudh Distillery Private Limited in Odisha.
Dheeraj Prasad Sahu, a Congress Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha since 2010, was reportedly linked to Baldev Sahu Infra Pvt Ltd, a company associated with Boudh Distilleries, which was under the I-T Department's radar.
Dheeraj Sahu's family has a longstanding association with the Congress party. His brother, Shiv Prasad Sahu, secured victory in two general elections from the Ranchi seat as a Congress candidate. There are reports indicating the alleged active participation of Dheeraj Sahu's extended family in a significant alcohol manufacturing enterprise, with ownership of multiple factories in Odisha.
In his 2018 Rajya Sabha election affidavit, Dheeraj Sahu declared assets exceeding ₹34 crore. Having entered politics in 1977, he is an influential figure in Jharkhand.
The Congress leader is yet to comment on the ongoing raids. However, the Income Tax operation has turned into a political tussle, drawing attention from top leaders.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to social media, criticizing the Congress in response to the I-T Department's recovery, emphasizing the need for accountability and accusing the party of dishonest practices.
Union Minister Anurag Thakur highlighted the alleged connection between the opposition and corruption, asserting that the Congress opposed demonetisation due to its involvement in corrupt practices. Union Minister Smriti Irani insisted that the Congress leadership must address the issue, emphasising the intersection of corruption and affectionate political relationships.
AICC General Secretary Communications Jairam Ramesh countering the claims made by BJP stated on X, that the Indian National Congress has no affiliation with the business ventures of MP Dheeraj Sahu. He emphasized that only Sahu can provide an explanation for the substantial amounts of cash reportedly discovered by income-tax authorities at his properties.
As the Income Tax raids concluded and political statements intensified, the incident raised questions about the nexus between political figures and financial impropriety, prompting demands for accountability and transparency.