The authorities have taken proactive measures to expedite the counting process of cash recovered during raids on properties associated with Congress Rajya Sabha MP Dheeraj Sahu. In response to the ongoing investigation, additional cash-counting machines and manpower have been deployed by the authorities to manage the substantial task effectively.
Tax officials, working diligently to conclude the counting by Sunday, have reported progress in tallying the seized cash from premises linked to MP Dheeraj Sahu. The raids, initiated by the Income Tax Department on December 6, have seen the successful counting of 140 bags of cash out of a total of 176 bags.
The estimated value of the seized cash, believed to be around Rs 300 crore, marks a record-breaking haul by the agency in a single operation, as stated by tax officials. Bhagat Behera, a Regional Manager of the State Bank of India, revealed that 50 officials from three banks, supported by 40 deployed machines, are actively involved in the counting process.
The urgency to conclude the counting by Sunday is emphasized by Behera, who cites the impending resumption of normal banking hours on Monday and the necessity to return the machines to the banks. Recognizing the substantial amount of cash still pending counting, the authorities have opted to engage additional cash-counting machines and manpower to accelerate the process.
In addition to the manpower, engineers are stationed on-site to address any technical issues that may arise with the counting machines. Visuals captured on Sunday depict officials meticulously counting bundles of cash recovered from the properties linked to Congress MP Dheeraj Sahu, with a significant portion originating from premises associated with Boudh Distillery Private Limited in Odisha.
Dheeraj Sahu's involvement in a major alcohol manufacturing business, owning multiple factories in Odisha, is highlighted in the context of the ongoing investigation. Notably, the Congress has distanced itself from Dheeraj Sahu in light of the substantial cash recovery.
AICC general secretary Communications Jairam Ramesh, in a statement, asserted that the Indian National Congress has no connection to the businesses of MP Dheeraj Sahu. Ramesh emphasized that only Dheeraj Sahu can explain the circumstances surrounding the reported discovery of significant cash amounts by income-tax authorities from his properties.
Concurrently, investigators from the Income Tax Department have recorded statements from various company officials and other individuals linked to the case, further deepening the complexity and scope of the ongoing investigation.
