The Income Tax raid at Shakti Maltare and Lemonades Private Limited, an alcohol maker at Rainrusinghpur under Dhenkanal’s Tumusingha police limits concluded on Monday.
The I-T sleuths came out of the plant after a marathon raid that lasted for three days. And if reports are to be believed, they have found many important documents from the liquor maker.
The plant’s Managing Director, Bikram Sahu was also questioned many times during the raid. However, the Income Tax department has not made any statements regarding the findings from Shakti Maltare.
It was suspected that Shakti Maltare had connections with Boudh Distillery which was recently raided by the I-T department. However, the MD of Shakti Maltare, Bikram Sahu had denied the reports.
Speaking about the raid, Sahu had said, “As far as the I-T raids are concerned, I do not know why they raided my plant. Only the I-T personnel can answer that.”
“Though we procure spirit from Boudh distillery, I personally do not know them. I have four clients who bring us spirit and we create liquor from it before selling them to my clients who then sell it in the market with their labels,” Sahu had said.
It is pertinent to mention here that Shakti Maltare has been preparing alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks since 2012. It has licence for blending, bottling, distribution, and sales of alcohol.
It may be noted here that the I-T raids on multiple locations linked to country liquor factories of Baldeo Sahu and Sons and Boudh Distillery Pvt Ltd had yielded cash worth Rs 320 crore in Odisha recently.