Congress MP Dheeraj Sahu is in focus as raids by the Income Tax Department continue at his premises. The cash recovery during the searches has crossed Rs 350 crore.
Congress may have distanced itself from party MP Dheeraj Sahu over the recent cash haul, but his family has a long-standing association with the grand old party.
As per sources, when India gained independence in 1947, Dheeraj Sahu’s father, Baldeo, donated Rs 47 lakh and 47 kg of gold to the Government of India to strengthen the country’s economy.
FAMILY’S CLOSE ASSOCIATION WITH CONGRESS
Dheeraj Sahu had five brothers, of which four, including him, entered politics. One of his brothers, Shiv Prasad Sahu, was a Lok Sabha MP and won the Ranchi seat twice on a Congress ticket. He died in January 2001 at the age of 67. Another brother, Nandlal Sahu, has also passed away.
Gopal Sahu, another of Dheeraj’s brothers, contested the 2019 elections from Hazaribagh on a Congress ticket but was defeated. Another brother, Uday Sahu, remains associated with the Congress party.
Dheeraj Sahu contested twice for the Chatra seat in Jharkhand but could not win. In June 2009, he was elected to Rajya Sabha in a by-poll and was re-elected in July 2010.
He became a Rajya Sabha member for the third time in May 2018.
During the tenure of Shiv Prasad Sahu, the family held considerable sway and the Congress’s candidates for parliamentary and legislative elections, as well as ministerial positions, were decided on their recommendations. He was also close to Indira Gandhi.
The Sahu family has consistently played a crucial role in supporting the Congress party both financially and in electoral politics, particularly in Jharkhand’s Lohardaga and the neighbouring districts.
Due to its pivotal role in Congress’s political activities, the family’s ancestral home is often referred to as the ‘White House of Lohardaga’.
Notably, the family’s influence extended beyond politics, with the ancestral home attracting visits from film stars and cricketers. The primary business of Dheeraj Sahu’s family is centred around the liquor industry, with most of their companies located in Odisha.
DHEERAJ SAHU’S ASSETS
According to the affidavit filed by Dheeraj Sahu with the Election Commission of India in 2018, his assets amount to more than Rs 34 crore with Rs 20.4 crore in moveable assets and Rs 14.43 in immovable assets such as agricultural land and property. He also has four cars in his possession — a Range Rover, a BMW, a Fortuner and a Pagero.
His annual income amounted to approximately Rs 1 crore. Additionally, his wife owned 3.1 kg of gold valued at Rs 94.5 lakh, while Dheeraj Sahu himself possessed diamond jewellery valued at Rs 26.16 lakh at that time.
According to the affidavit, Sahu had invested capital in Baldeo Sahu Shiv Prasad Sahu – a family-owned company – amounting to Rs 2.5 crore, and in Baldeo Sahu and Sons, he had invested Rs 2 crore, among other investments.
Furthermore, he had made an advance payment of Rs 2.32 crore for a villa in Delhi.
He passed out from Marwari College of Ranchi University with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in 1979. There are no criminal records under Dheeraj Sahu’s name yet.
Aisha Patel is a dedicated Indian correspondent with a deep understanding of the nation’s diverse affairs. With a background in Indian culture, politics, and current events, she provides in-depth analysis and timely reporting on domestic issues within India.
