On Thursday an income tax raid was carried out at the Bihar congressional office in Patna, around Rs 8 lakh in cash was reportedly recovered from a vehicle on campus.
The event comes just one day before former Congress President Rahul Gandhi delivers his first electoral meeting at Hisua in Nawada and Kahalgaon and Bhagalpur.
Shaktisinh Gohil, in charge of the Bihar Congress, told reporters that an IT team had arrived at the office and reported that few lakhs of cash had been recovered from a vehicle.
“We told the team how we could find out which vehicle had arrived at the party’s state office and what was inside. Someone can put anything in a vehicle and come to our party office. We are not responsible anywhere, “he told the media.
Gohil called TI’s search in the state party office politically motivated and a conspiracy by rivals to pressure the party because the grand alliance is poised to win the state assembly elections.
Sources said that the IT team that had arrived at the Sadaqat ashram at 4.30 pm spent a few hours in the state congressional office and spoke with various leaders about the cash recovery. Top party leaders, including AICC general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala, were present when the searches were carried out, the source said.
TI officials did not speak to the media and there was no official confirmation on the money recovered during the raid by the team. The sources said that special units of TI officials have been formed to monitor the flow of cash and other materials during the current elections and work under the supervision of special election observers.
Bihar electoral director HR Srinivasa could not be reached for comment, despite HT’s efforts.
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