Over Rs 100 cr seized in I-T raids at premises of Congress MP’s relatives

Ranchi, Dec 7 (IANS) Cash amounting to more than Rs 100 crore has reportedly been recovered in the raids being conducted by the Income Tax Department for two days at the premises of close relatives of Congress Rajya Sabha MP from Jharkhand, Dhiraj Prasad Sahu.

According to Income Tax Department sources, the maximum cash has been recovered from the premises of Boudh Distillery Private Limited (BDPL) in Odisha. Many machines have been installed to count the notes.

The I-T Department has also simultaneously raided half a dozen premises of Sahu in Ranchi, Lohardaga and Odisha. Apart from this, raids are going on at some places in West Bengal also. Apart from the documents related to income and expenditure, what else has been found in the raid is not yet clear.

There are many companies in the name of Dheeraj Sahu's relatives in Odisha. These include Baldev Sahu Infra Private Limited (Fly Ash Bricks), Kwality Bottlers Private Limited and Kishore Prasad Bijay Prasad Beverages Private Limited.

Bottling of foreign liquor is done at Kwality Bottlers Private Limited and it is marketed by Kishore Prasad Bijay Prasad Beverages Private Limited. Dheeraj Prasad Sahu is also a director in some of these companies. This Income Tax raid is related to tax evasion in the liquor business.

Dheeraj Sahu comes from a prominent business and political family of Jharkhand. He has been elected to the Rajya Sabha twice from the Congress.