50 officials, 3 banks, 40 machines, 176 bags of cash: I-T dept’s Rs 350-cr haul after Congress MP Dheeraj Sahu’s raid

After counting 140 bags of cash out of the 176 bags, the Income Tax department has been able to put a number on what is turning out to be the “highest-ever” black money haul by any agency in a single operation. The value of the unaccounted cash seized by the I-T department from the premises linked to Congress’ Rajya Sabha MP Dheeraj Sahu in Odisha and Jharkhand reached Rs 351 crore on Sunday. 

The raids began on December 6 and as per the latest development, the I-T department has been able to count 140 bags of cash out of a total of 176. 

Officials were reportedly trying to finish counting of the case recovered during the raids by Sunday, as told to news agency ANI by Bhagat Behera,  Regional Manager of the State Bank of India. Fifty officials from three banks were involved in the counting process and 40 machines were deployed. 

According to Behera, the officials were trying to finish the counting by the end of Sunday so as to return the machines to the banks for Monday when normal banking hours would commence. On Sunday, the department had to rope in additional cash-counting machines and manpower to speed up the process. Engineers were also deployed to attend to any technical issues the counting machines might face. 

Congress MP Dheeraj Sahu’s extended family is reportedly involved in a major alcohol manufacturing business. Most of the cash recovered from was linked to Boudh Distillery Private Limited in Odisha. The I-T department recorded the statements of various company officials as well as others in connection with the case.

Meanwhile, the Congress party has said that it has no connection with Sahu’s businesses. "The Indian National Congress is in no way connected with the businesses of Dheeraj Sahu, MP. Only he can explain, and should explain, how huge amounts of cash have been reportedly unearthed by the income-tax authorities from his properties," AICC general secretary Communications Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, referring to the huge pile of cash, said on Friday that every penny will have to be returned to the public. “Countrymen should look at the pile of these notes and then listen to the honest ‘speeches’ of their leaders….Whatever has been looted from the public, every penny will have to be returned, this is Modi’s guarantee,” he said. 

The Jharkhand BJP also alleged that over Rs 300 crore cash recovered from the raid was intended for horse-trading and ‘resort politics’. 

Also read: Rs 290 cr and counting: I-T dept deploys more machines to count cash seized from Congress MP's premises

Also read: I-T Dept's biggest-ever seizure: Who is Dhiraj Sahu, liquor baron and Congress' Rajya Sabha MP?