India / IT raids Bihar Cong office, ₹8.5L recovered from outside office compound

Patna: Days ahead of the first phase of Bihar elections, Income Tax officials served a notice at the Congress headquarters in Patna on Thursday, after some money was recovered from a vehicle parked outside the compound, ANI reported. Moreover, Rs 8.5 lakh was recovered from a person outside the office premises. He has been detained.

Congress Bihar in-charge Shaktisinh Gohil, however, said no money was recovered from within the office compound.

“They served notice after money was recovered from a vehicle outside the compound. No money recovered within the compound. We’ll cooperate. 22 kg gold, 2.5 kg silver was recovered from BJP candidate from Raxaul. Why is IT not going there?” ANI quoted Gohil as saying.

Hitting out at the ruling BJP-JD(U) combine, Congress ally RJD said, “Income tax department has started raiding Opposition parties. Do you understand the meaning?? This is called accepting defeat.”

Earlier this week, the Income Tax Department had seized cash and bullion worth Rs 2.4 crore after it raided two government contractors in Bihar.

The Central Board of Direct Taxation (CBDT) said the searches were conducted on two contractors who had premises in Purnea, Katihar and Saharsa, apart from a silk trader in Bhagalpur district, on suspicion that “large scale unaccounted cash was being generated and used for various purposes.” The Central Board of Direct Taxes is the administrative authority of the I-T department.

Polls for the 243-member Bihar Assembly will be held in three phases — October 28, November 3 and November 7 — and counting of votes will be held on November 10.