Congress MP's cash haul: 350 crore, 176 bags full, 25 machines

Digital Desk: During five days of nonstop counting by fifty bank employees and 40 counting machines, the result was astounding: Rs 353.5 crore in cash was seized from an Odisha distillery owned by the family of a Congress MP. Breaking all prior records, this unprecedented haul is the largest single seizure ever made by any investigative body in India.

The income tax agency searched properties in Ranchi and other locations connected to Congress Rajya Sabha MP from Jharkhand, Dhiraj Prasad Sahu. 

According to income tax officials, the cash count in Odisha is practically finished. With over Rs 305 crore discovered, the Balangir area saw the largest recovery. With Rs 37.5 crore and Rs 11 crore, respectively, Sambalpur and Titlagarh came next.

Today, the State Bank of India (SBI) main branch in Balangir will receive all the cash that the Income Tax authorities seized during recent raids. The SBI regional manager has affirmed that the public would be able to access the bank as usual throughout this procedure.

Bhagat Behera, regional manager of SBI, provided an update on the remaining cash seizure total. He disclosed that, of the 176 bags, 140 had been handled by the teams; the remaining 36 are supposed to be counted today.

"We received 176 bags; 140 of them have already been counted, and the remaining bags will be counted today." Three banks' representatives as well as fifty of our representatives are taking part in the counting procedure. About forty (currency counting) machines were brought here, 25 are in use and 15 are kept as backup," the news outlet ANI cited him as saying.

Yesterday, the income tax authorities extended its investigation into Boudh Distilleries Private Limited to include Baldev Sahu Infra Pvt Ltd, a business purportedly associated with Mr. Sahu's family. 

The agency believes that unreported revenue from the sale of national spirits is represented by the enormous cash hoard that was discovered during raids on Boudh Distilleries and related businesses.  

BJP Escalates Its Attack

Targeting the Congress and other opposition parties, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) mounted a formidable counteroffensive on Sunday. Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated that their previous claims that the government was abusing investigative agencies are now transparently "propaganda," motivated by their apprehension about facing consequences for their accused misconduct.

While the Congress has disassociated itself from Mr. Sahu, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah asked why BJP politicians were not the subject of any searches.

On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured the people that "looted money" will be reimbursed. The prime minister displayed a story from a Hindi newspaper showcasing the mountains of money the income tax agency had retrieved.

"The 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," PM Modi posted on X.