The result of five days of nonstop counting, forty counting machines, and fifty bank officials is a staggering ₹ 353.5 crore cash seizure from an Odisha-based distillery owned by the family of a Congress MP. This extraordinary haul breaks all previous records as the largest single seizure ever made by any Indian investigative agency.

The income tax department conducted searches on properties connected to Congress Rajya Sabha MP from Jharkhand, Dhiraj Prasad Sahu, in Ranchi and other locations. 

One post from 2022 on X that seems innocuous enough, but talks about widespread corruption and the flow of black money, has gone viral on social media. It is ironic to note that the post was authored by Dheeraj Sahu, a Congress MP from Rajya Sabha who was involved in a huge cash grab of ₹ 353 crore.

BJP’s Chief IT Cell Officer Amit Malviya shared a screenshot of the post and commented, “Corruption ki dukaan” with a “dark sense of humour” on Mr Sahu’s part.

The fifth day of the Income Tax raids on Boudh Distilleries Private Limited’s property began today. Today, Boudh Distilleries, which is associated with Dheeraj Sahu, installed additional cash-counting machines on their premises. The MP’s homes in Jharkhand had previously been raided by officials.

The Congress withdrew from its MP on Saturday, claiming that it has no connection to the businesses and that the MP ought to explain the cash and its source, in response to harsh criticism regarding the enormous sums of hard currency found in what is being hailed as one of India’s largest cash hauls.

In response to the recovery, the BJP unleashed a full-scale offensive against the Congress, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi spearheading the campaign. The prime minister wrote on X: “The people of the nation should look at these mountains of cash before paying attention to the sincere speeches of their leaders. Every penny that has been taken from the general public must be reimbursed. Modi has promised to do this.” Questioning the Congress, Union Minister Smriti Irani demanded that the Gandhi family disclose the identity of the leader whom the Rajya Sabha MP was acting as an “ATM”.

A potent counteroffensive was launched on Sunday by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) against the Congress and other opposition parties. Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that their previous claims that the government was abusing its investigative powers are now simply “propaganda,” motivated by their inability to face consequences for their purported corruption.

The Central Bureau of Investigation’s investigation has been demanded by the BJP’s Odisha unit, which has also asked the ruling BJD for an explanation. Manoj Mohapatra, the party spokesperson, displayed pictures of a female state minister sharing the platform with one of the liquor dealers who was targeted by the raids. According to him, the state government and local authorities’ active support and patronage were essential to making this tax evasion possible.