Dhiraj Sahu, the 64-year-old Congress Rajya Sabha MP from Jharkhand, is in the eye of a storm after an estimated Rs 290 crore in cash has been seized in Odisha allegedly at the premises of his country liquor businesses by the Income Tax (I-T) department during its raids. It’s the “highest-ever” cash seizure by an agency in a single operation in the country, sources in the I-T department said.
Sahu does not have any liquor businesses in Jharkhand, which sources say is due to his claims of the state’s “unethical business practices”.
However, the BJP has since used the I-T department’s cash haul to attack the Congress leadership over corruption. Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to social media Friday to highlight these raids, saying he would “guarantee” that every penny of the “money looted from public will be returned”.
The corruption tag may not bode well for the MP, the son of industrialist and social worker Baldeo Sahu who, he maintains, was also involved in the Independence struggle.
Dhiraj Sahu started his political innings with the Congress in 1977, as a member of National Students Union of India from 1978 to 1983. He climbed the party ladder, first as an office-bearer in the Lohardaga district and later with the Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee.
He was first elected to the Rajya Sabha in a 2009 bypoll, and re-elected for his second term in 2010. He became a Rajya Sabha member for the third time in May 2018. He has also been associated with various parliamentary committees and continues to be a member of the Consultative Committee on Power and New and Renewable Energy, and a member of the Committee on Coal, Mines and Steel.
Sources, including in the Congress, say Sahu is close to top leaders in the BJD and the Congress.
Some leaders said his entry into politics was seen as an attempt to gain “public legitimacy”. One of the questions he asked in the Rajya Sabha was on the stoppage of the Ranchi-New Delhi Rajdhani Express at Lohardaga, which affected thousands of passengers in nearby districts. Another question this year was on the welfare of labourers, who were allegedly exploited and forced to work in poor condition in the private sector. Last year, he also put forward questions on accidental deaths in the production units of Steel Authority of India Limited, mainly at its Bokaro Steel Plant. In 2019, he had asked a question on illegal mining of bauxite in Jharkhand.
A source close to him said Sahu’s family has been involved in multiple businesses besides liquor, including hotels, real estate, transportation and fisheries.
According to his affidavit filed with the Election Commission in 2018, his annual earnings stood at around Rs 1 crore. He had four personal vehicles, including a BMW and a Range Rover. His wife owned 3.1 kilograms of gold valued then at Rs 94.5 lakh, and Sahu himself owned diamond jewellery valued at Rs 26.16 lakh at the time.
The affidavit also stated that Sahu had capital invested in Baldeo Sahu Shiv Prasad Sahu – a family-owned company – to the tune of Rs 2.5 crore and in Baldeo Sahu and Sons to the tune of Rs 2 crore, among others. He had also paid an advance of Rs 2.32 crore for a villa in Delhi.
The gross total value of Sahu’s moveable assets stood at Rs 20.4 crore and of immovable assets, such as agricultural land and property, stood at Rs 14.43 crore, taking the total value of his assets to Rs 34.47 crore, at the time of filing his affidavit. His total liabilities, including home and car loans, stood at Rs 2.34 crore. He has no criminal cases against him.
Official sources said Sahu’s company got licence in Odisha in 1994-95 and continued operations by renewing it every year.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
First published on: 09-12-2023 at 21:53 IST
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.
