I-T Raid On Coal Trader Ghanshyam Dalmia In Odisha Enters 3rd Day; Huge Cash Seized

Sundargarh: The search operations by income tax (I-T) officials at multiple places in Odisha and Chhattisgarh linked to coal trader and industrialist Ghanshyam Dalmia continued for the third consecutive day on Saturday.

Over 100 officers have been engaged for carrying out the searches in the presence of CRPF personnel. Raids are reported to be continuing in Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Kolkata, Mumbai, and other places.

According to sources, the raids are on at houses, business establishments, and offices of Dalmia, his brothers Bablu and Jogesh, in Rourkela, Sundargarh town and Barpali in Odisha and Raigarh, Raipur, and Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh, over alleged tax evasion. Some of his staff reportedly jumped a wire fence and fled his office in Sundargarh’s Gopalpur during the raid.

The raid is in progress at 10 places linked to Dalmia in Sundargarh, Rourkela, and Bargarh. This apart, the raid teams are simultaneously carrying out the search operation at 30 places in other states.

I-T officials are yet to disclose any specific information about seizure made during the ongoing operation. However, reports claimed that cash to the tune of Rs 250 crore has been seized by the team along with 3 kg gold.

Sources said that raid is also underway at the residence and office of Nandakishore Agarwal at Uditnagar, Rourkela, and two other places linked to Dalmia. In Chhattisgarh, the raid team is searching an Iron, Steel, and Power plant factory, residence, office at Raighar, and an office in Bilaspur. The officials also continued the raid at his office in Kolkata.

It may be noted that Dalmia has business in coal mining, steel industry, sponge iron factories, and hotel outlets in Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Mumbai, Madhya Pradesh, and Kolkata.

Dalmia is yet to make any comment regarding the ongoing raids.