TNI Bureau: The Income Tax department conducted extensive raids in Odisha, leading to the discovery of unaccounted cash amounting to over Rs 300 crore. The raids were focused on the premises linked to Congress’ Rajya Sabha MP from Jharkhand, Dhiraj Prasad Sahu.

The cash seizure has sparked concerns, with Bharatiya Janata Party’s National Vice President Baijayant Panda expressing astonishment and raising questions about the possible involvement of leaders and officers in the Odisha government.

Baijayant Panda, in a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), said I wonder whether such a massive accumulation of black money could occur without the knowledge or involvement of the state’s leaders and officers.

Panda emphasized that the seizure of hundreds of crores from a non-Odia Congress MP is indeed a matter of concern, leading to the perception that Odisha might be turning into a safe haven for the non-Odia criminals.

It is to be noted here that the initial reports indicate that Rs 300 crore was found stashed in almirahs during the raids, with the remaining amount discovered in various locations across Odisha, including Sambalpur, Balangir, and Sundargarh.

The officials utilized over three dozen note-counting machines to count the seized cash.