BHUBANESWAR: More than 50 bank employees used 40 machines and took five days to count the huge pile of cash seized by the income-tax (I-T) department from an Odisha-based distillery, linked to Congress’s Jharkhand MP Dhiraj Sahu.
On Sunday evening, when counting finally ended, the amount was pegged at nearly Rs 340 crore, said to be the biggest cash haul in Odisha in a single operation. The cash was seized from the distillery’s multiple factories in Balangir, Titlagarh and Sambalpur.
Sources said counting was carried out at the State Bank of India branches in Balangir, Titlagarh and Sambalpur. While counting was completed in Sambalpur and Titlagarh branches on Saturday, it ended in Balangir at around 8.30 pm on Sunday.
“It was a mammoth exercise. We engaged bankers from three nationalised banks, including the SBI. Despite Saturday and Sunday being holidays, our personnel went beyond the call of duty and counted the cash. Some machines turned defunct during counting. Technicians stayed with us to repair the machines,” said a banking staffer who was engaged in counting the money. The cash would be deposited in the bank on Monday.
With the cash counting over, the enforcement directorate (ED) could now step in to look into the money trail. “We are waiting for the I-T searches to get over. Once they register a case, we will seek details from them and begin our investigation related to money laundering,” an ED source said.
Experts said the ED should be involved to find out the possible involvement of hawala racket behind the seizure of cash from Odisha. “We should also not rule out hoarding of the cash for the ensuing elections in Odisha. Since ED is a specialised agency to probe money laundering, they can find out the source of the cash,” said Jayant Mishra, a retired DSP.
Official sources said the Supreme Court-appointed special investigation team (SIT) on black money, too, has been monitoring the I-T searches closely. Constituted in 2014, the SIT has already submitted seven interim reports to the apex court in the last nine years.
On November 29, the SIT’s vice-chairman, justice (retired) Arijit Pasayat, held a meeting with officials of the I-T, ED, customs and excise and central board of indirect tax departments in Cuttack. They discussed strategies for detection and curbing black money in India and abroad. A week later, the I-T unearthed a record haul of unaccounted cash in Odisha from properties linked to the Congress MP.
Amid the political war of words, Congress distanced itself from Sahu. “The Indian National Congress is in no way connected with the businesses of Dhiraj 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,” Congress’s general secretary in-charge, communications, Jairam Ramesh posted on ‘X’ on Saturday.
