Odisha IT raids: "3 banks involved in counting, 40 currency counting machines..., " says SBI official
Dec 10, 2023
Balangir (Odisha) [India], December 10 : During the Income Tax raids at properties connected to Rajya Sabha MP Dheeraj Sahu, huge stacks of currency notes were seized. SBI Regional Manager, Bhagat Behera on Sunday said that out of the 176 bags received, 140 have been accounted for, and the counting of the remaining bags is scheduled for today.
"We received 176 bags and 140 of them have been counted, the rest will be counted today. Officials from 3 banks are involved in the counting process, 50 of our officials are involved. About 40 (currency counting) machines were brought here, 25 are in use and 15 are kept as backup," SBI Regional Manager said. 
CISF personnel have been deployed outside the premises of Boudh Distilleries Private Limited at Odisha's Balangir, he said. 
Meanwhile, the currency note banding machine brought to Balangir SBI main branch to complete the currency counting process.
The Income Tax sleuths conducted raids at the premises of Boudh Distilleries Private Limited on Sunday, as the crackdown by the central agency entered its fifth day.
Baldev Sahu Infra Pvt Ltd company is a group company of Boudh Distilleries, which is being raised. It is allegedly linked to Sahu.
Income Tax sleuths have, so far, recovered more than Rs 200 crore cash from several locations in Odisha and Jharkhand during their raids against Boudh Distilleries Private Limited (BDPL) and entities linked to it.
Earlier, currency counting machines were brought in as the Income Tax Department raided the premises of Boudh Distilleries Private Limited.
The residences of Sahu were also searched. The recovery has given fresh ammunition to the BJP to come out all guns blazing at the Congress on the issue of graft.
Earlier, on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a swipe at the Congress, tagging a news report about the I-T department's recovery of Rs 200 crores in cash from various locations of a business group allegedly linked to Sahu.
"Countrymen should look at these piles of currency notes and then hear the addresses of its (Congress) leaders on honesty. Every penny looted from people will have to be returned. This is Modi's guarantee," PM Modi posted from his official handle.
