Congress MP Dhiraj Sahu, responding to the Income Tax department's raids on his properties in Odisha and Jharkhand, clarified on Friday that the cash recovered is associated with his liquor firms and is unrelated to the Congress or any other political party.
According to the Jharkhand MP, the recovered cash represents the proceeds from liquor sales and is entirely independent of any political affiliation. He emphasized, "The money has nothing to do with Congress or any other political party, as is being said."
Additionally, Sahu asserted that he is not actively involved in business, and questions about the cash discovery should be directed to his family members. He stated that the entirety of the recovered cash is not solely his but also belongs to his family and other associated firms. He expressed his intention to provide a comprehensive account of the funds during the investigation.
Addressing allegations from the BJP that the seized money constituted black money, Sahu reiterated that the funds originated from the legitimate operations of business firms run by his family. He urged people to let the Income Tax department determine whether the seized cash is 'Kaala Dhan' (black money) or 'Safed Dhan' (white money).
This marks Dhiraj Sahu's initial response since the Income Tax department's raid, which reportedly resulted in the recovery of over Rs 351 crore, making it the 'biggest ever' cash haul. The searches, conducted at a distillery firm in Odisha owned by the family of the Congress MP, began on December 6 and concluded on Friday. The operation covered approximately 30-34 premises in Odisha, Jharkhand, and West Bengal, leading to the seizure of about three kg of gold jewelry.
