The income tax department made a significant discovery, claiming to have found almost Rs 340 crore in various facilities of a distillery based in Odisha. This distillery is reportedly linked to Dhiraj Sahu, a Congress Member of Parliament from Jharkhand. This cash seizure is considered the largest in a single operation in the coastal state.
To handle the massive amount of money, more than 50 bank employees utilized 40 machines over a span of five days to count the banknotes seized from the distillery’s factories located in Balangir, Titlagarh, and Sambalpur.
Despite the weekend, bank employees, including technicians, worked diligently to count the cash. The broken machines were promptly repaired, and the entire amount is scheduled to be deposited in the bank on Monday.
The counting process occurred at State Bank of India (SBI) branches in Balangir, Titlagarh, and Sambalpur. Following the income tax proceedings, the enforcement directorate (ED) is expected to investigate the money trail. The ED will focus on potential money laundering aspects, explore connections to hawala networks, and examine the accumulation of cash, especially in light of upcoming elections in Odisha.
In response to the developments, the Congress party distanced itself from Dhiraj Sahu. Jairam Ramesh, the party’s general secretary in-charge of communications, stated on social media that the Indian National Congress has no connection to Sahu’s business activities. He emphasized that Sahu should explain how such a substantial amount of cash was reportedly found by the income tax authorities at his properties.
The Supreme Court-appointed special investigation team (SIT) on black money is closely monitoring the income tax searches. The SIT recently convened a meeting to strategize ways to detect and curb black money, indicating the gravity of the situation.
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