'Money Has Nothing To Do With Congress': Dhiraj Sahu On Massive Cash Haul In Odisha I-T Raids

The I-T raids began last week, when the agency discovered piles of notes in the Congress MP's almirah.

Congress MP Dhiraj Prasad Sahu.

Source : Dhiraj_Prasad_Sahu FB

After the Income Tax Department has recovered Rs 353 crore from Dhiraj Sahu's premises, Congress MP on Friday stated that the cash that has been recovered is related to his liquor firms, news agency ANI reported. Speaking with ANI, Dhiraj stated: "In the last 30-35 years of my political career, this is the first time that this kind of incident has taken place, due to which I am hurt. What is happening today makes me sad. I can admit that the money that has been recovered belongs to my firm. The cash that has been recovered is related to my liquor firms; it is the proceeds from the sale of liquor."

"My elder brother has been in politics and we have done a lot of development work. My father used to help the poor and we have opened many colleges and schools. I have a liquor business, which is run by my family and relatives," he said. 

#WATCH | Delhi | First reaction of Congress MP Dhiraj Prasad Sahu on I-T raids and recovery of hundreds of crores of rupees in cash from premises linked to him.

He says, "...What is happening today makes me sad. I can admit that the money that has been recovered belongs to my… pic.twitter.com/TgpMXhCC2B

— ANI (@ANI) December 15, 2023

He also stated that his company has been in operation for over a century.

 

On BJP's allegation of the cash being black money, he said: "I have already said that the money is from the business firms of my family...Let the side of the Income Tax Department come whether it is 'Kaala Dhan' or 'Safed Dhan'. I am not in the business line. The members of my family will answer this...I don't know how people are viewing this but I can confidently say that this money has nothing to do with Congress or any other political party."

#WATCH | Delhi | First reaction of Congress MP Dhiraj Prasad Sahu on I-T raids and recovery of hundreds of crores of rupees in cash from premises linked to him.

On BJP's allegation of the cash being black money, he says, "I have already said that the money is from the business… pic.twitter.com/W8PEx1DHlN

— ANI (@ANI) December 15, 2023

Dhiraj Sahu, the 64-year-old Congress Rajya Sabha MP from Jharkhand, is in the spotlight after the Income Tax officials raided his residences in Odisha and Jharkhand and confiscated Rs 353 crore and around 3 kilogramme of gold jewellery.

After raiding Odisha-based Boudh Distillery Private Limited and organisations associated to it, IT sleuths seized the most cash ever in a single action by any investigating agency in the nation.

Over 50 bank officials utilised 40 machines for five days to count the currencies seized from industries in Blangir, Titlagarh, and Sambalpur.

BJP Stages Demonstration With Fake Currency Notes, Demand CBI Probe

The Odisha BJP protests against the administration of CM Naveen Patnaik by displaying baskets of fake cash notes after the Income Tax seizes cash from the premises of Congress MP Dhiraj Prasad Sahu in Balangir district.

#WATCH | Bhubaneswar: Over the seizure of cash from Balangir district from the premises related to Congress MP Dhiraj Prasad Sahu by the Income Tax, Odisha BJP holds a demonstration against CM Naveen Patnaik's government by putting baskets of fake currency notes on display pic.twitter.com/bUE8ZJFe5y

— ANI (@ANI) December 15, 2023

With an unusual protest of laying baskets with phoney currency notes on the streets here, the opposition BJP in Odisha renewed its demand for a CBI inquiry into the source of unaccounted cash collected during income-tax department raids on distilleries, PTI reported.

The party claims that the over Rs 350 crore in unaccounted cash discovered in the searches was set aside by the ruling BJD for the forthcoming assembly and Lok Sabha elections.

“The liquor traders stored such a huge amount of money in collusion with BJD leaders,” claimed Bhubaneswar BJP unit president Babu Singh.