Income Tax Retrieves Rs 329 Crore Hidden In Odisha Towns Linked To Congress MP Dhiraj Sahu

This extensive operation, spanning over a week, encompassed more than 30 premises across Odisha, Jharkhand, and West Bengal. Remarkably, it stands as the highest-ever cash seizure in a single action conducted by any probe agency in the country. The search and seizure operation also brought to light several pieces of incriminating evidence, including crucial documents and digital data.

The sheer scale of the operation involved over 100 Income Tax officials, and the counting of the seized cash was facilitated by the deployment of more than 40 machines. The group's business, as unveiled during the investigation, is purportedly controlled by a family based in Ranchi, Jharkhand, with one of its members classified as a politically exposed person residing in Ranchi.

Dhiraj Sahu, the Congress MP from Jharkhand serving in the Rajya Sabha, is associated with this business group. The statement from the Income Tax Department disclosed that the main employees overseeing the group's business activities have acknowledged that the seized cash represents unaccounted income generated through multiple business concerns. This admission was reportedly corroborated by one of the family members actively involved in the business.

In total, the seized undisclosed cash exceeds Rs 351 crore, and unaccounted jewellery valued at more than Rs 2.8 crore was also recovered during the operation. The significance of this revelation underscores the magnitude of unaccounted wealth and financial irregularities associated with the group, prompting further investigations into potential financial improprieties and illegal activities.