Raid at Boudh Distilleries, Odisha Continues for Fifth Day in a Row

The Income Tax Department continued its raids on the premises of Boudh Distilleries Limited, extending into the fifth consecutive day. The central agency’s scrutiny has revealed connections to Baldev Sahu Infra Pvt Ltd, a group company of Boudh Distilleries, with links to Congress Rajya Sabha MP from Jharkhand, Dheeraj Sahu.

CISF personnel were deployed at the raided premises, underlining the intensity of the ongoing investigations. Income Tax officials have reportedly discovered a substantial cash hoard, surpassing Rs 200 crore, in various locations across Odisha and Jharkhand linked to Boudh Distilleries Private Limited (BDPL) and its associated entities. The counting of the recovered cash is still in progress, according to IT officials.

Raids were conducted not only at Boudh Distilleries but also at locations in Bolangir and Sambalpur in Odisha, as well as in Jharkhand’s Ranchi and Lohardaga.

The development has put Congress Rajya Sabha MP Dheeraj Sahu under scrutiny. Responding to the situation, Congress General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh emphasized that the party has no direct association with Sahu’s business ventures. He urged Sahu to explain the significant sums of cash reportedly discovered by the Income Tax authorities at his properties.

“The Indian National Congress is in no way connected with the businesses of Dheeraj Sahu, MP. Only he can explain, and should explain, how huge amounts of cash have been reportedly unearthed by the income-tax authorities from his properties,” Ramesh stated.

Income Tax raids have also extended to the residences of Dheeraj Sahu, adding political tension to the situation. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seized the opportunity to criticize the Congress, with Union Minister Smriti Irani questioning the Gandhi family and demanding an explanation for whom the Congress MP was serving as an ‘ATM.’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined the discourse, highlighting the recovered cash in a tweet and emphasizing that every penny looted from the people would have to be returned. The ongoing investigations into the financial affairs of Dheeraj Sahu have intensified political debates, casting a shadow on the Congress party.