Income Tax Department Recovers More Than Rs 300 Crore Till Now in Raids on MP Dheeraj Sahu

Ranchi, 9th December 2023: Until Saturday, the Income Tax (IT) Department has received cash worth more than Rs 300 crore from 10 locations associated with Congress MP Dheeraj Sahu and his close associates in three states—Jharkhand, Odisha, and West Bengal. Raids were initiated on December 6 on his house, office, and factory in connection with a tax evasion case. 

Dheeraj Sahu, a Rajya Sabha member from Jharkhand, is at the center of this operation, which Income Tax officials claim is the largest amount ever recovered in a single operation.

The Income Tax Department acquired this cash from locations in Titlagarh, Bolangir, and Sambalpur in Odisha. On December 8, 40 large and small machines were set up to count the notes, with the counting still in progress. 

Sanjay Bahadur, Director General of the Income Tax Department, stated while en route to Delhi that the cash amount is so substantial that it will take two more days to complete the count, and official information will be provided thereafter.

The Income Tax Department initiated the raid on December 6, and by December 7, 30 cupboards filled with currency notes were discovered in the office of liquor manufacturing company Baldev Sahu and Group of Companies. Nine of these cupboards contained bundles of Rs 500, 200, and 100 notes. However, the IT team has not disclosed the total amount of cash, and the lockers are yet to be opened. By Thursday evening, cash amounting to Rs 260 crore had been recovered, with the total increasing thereafter.

On Friday, the Income Tax Department seized Rs 8 crore from the residence of Sanjay Sahu and Deepak Sahu, liquor business handlers in Titlagarh, Odisha. Significant sums were also confiscated from the premises of rice miller and transporter Rajkishore Jaiswal.

Raid Locations:

1. Boudh Distilleries Private Limited Company and its associated premises in Odisha.

2. Baldev Sahu & Group of Companies (partnership firm of Boudh Distillery).

3. Corporate office and residence of Boudh Distillery officials in Bhubaneswar.

4. Residences of two liquor traders in Sudapada, Bolangir, and Titlagarh.

5. Sushila Niketan residence on Radium Road, Ranchi.

6. Residence of MP Dheeraj Sahu in Lohardaga.

Due to prolonged storage in cupboards, the notes became moist, causing them to stick together. Four machines have broken down during the counting process, leading to delays. Larger machines have been ordered from Bhubaneswar to expedite the process. Counting of notes commenced on six large machines at 12 o’clock on December 8 and is ongoing.

Observing the Income Tax raid, employees of Boudh Distillery Private Limited Company in Boudh district tore Rs 500 notes and threw them away. During the raid, Income Tax Department officials discovered torn Rs 500 notes near the boundary wall and boiler of the bottling plant, seizing them. Employees of 42 shops in Bolangir district, operated by Baldev Sahu Sons & Group, closed their shops and fled, fearing arrest and interrogation.

Director General Sanjay Bahadur is overseeing the entire operation, including the seizure and counting of notes. No arrests have been made so far, and there has been no response from the liquor trading company regarding the raid.

Boudh Distillery Private Limited, spanning 40 acres and located 200 km from Bhubaneswar, is one of the largest liquor manufacturing and selling companies in the country. Directors associated with the group include Amit Sahu, Ritesh Sahu, and Uday Shankar Prasad. Interrogations of individuals linked to the company will only occur after the completion of the note count.

Who is Dheeraj Sahu:

– Born on November 23, 1955, in Ranchi.

– Father: Rai Saheb Baldev Sahu; Mother: Sushila Devi.

– Holds a BA from Marwari College, Ranchi.

– Three-time Rajya Sabha MP.

– Declared assets worth Rs 34.83 crore in the 2018 affidavit.

– No criminal cases against him.

– Owns a Range Rover, Fortuner, BMW, and Pajero, as per the affidavit.

Dheeraj Sahu commenced his political journey with the Lohardaga District Youth Congress in 1977. His father, Rai Saheb Baldev Sahu, was actively involved in the freedom struggle, and the family has been associated with the Congress since independence.

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