Bhubaneswar/ Boudh: The income-tax department continued its searches in different places linked to an Odisha-based distillery group on charges of tax evasion for the sixth consecutive day Monday after recovering unaccounted cash to the tune of Rs353 crore, the “highest-ever” haul in a single action by any probe agency in the country, officials said.
During the day, officials of the income tax department reached the Sudapada unit of the Boudh Distilleries, owned by a Congress MP’s family, in Boudh district where the central agency started its search operations December 6.
The raids were also conducted at Sambalpur, Titlagarh, Sundargarh, Bolangir and Bhubaneswar, the officials said.
The income tax team, accompanied by information technology professionals, have “now focused on the recovered documents after the counting of seized cash was completed Sunday night”, they said.
“Unaccounted cash of Rs353 crore has been counted and seized till Sunday night. This is the highest-ever haul in a single action by any probe agency in the country,” one of the officials said.
Opposition BJP in Odisha Monday intensified its attack on the ruling BJD and the Odisha government, accusing them of “facilitating illegal liquor trade in the state and proliferation of black money”.
BJD leaders could not be reached for comments on such allegations.
The saffron party held protests in front of all the sub-divisions across Odisha against the alleged black money transactions.
PTI
