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Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Friday said that strict action will be taken against his former aide and businessman Ashok Sahu, after the Income Tax department seized Rs 200 crore in cash from his premises in Madhya Pradesh. Scindia, who was in Indore to inaugurate a new flight service, said that he was unaware of Sahu’s illegal activities and that he will be punished as per the law.

“I have no connection with him. He was my employee till 2018. After that, he left my service and started his own business. I don’t know what he was doing. Whatever he has done, he will be punished. The law will take its own course,” Scindia told reporters1.

Sahu, who was Scindia’s personal assistant for over a decade, was raided by the Income Tax department on Thursday, along with his associates and relatives, in connection with a money laundering and tax evasion case. The raids were conducted at 22 locations in Indore, Bhopal, Gwalior, and Delhi. The IT officials recovered Rs 200 crore in cash, along with jewellery, documents, and electronic devices2.

According to sources, Sahu was involved in a racket of converting black money into white through shell companies and hawala transactions. He was also allegedly linked to some politicians and bureaucrats, who used his services to launder their ill-gotten wealth. The IT department is probing the source and destination of the huge amount of cash seized from Sahu’s premises3.

Sahu, who is currently absconding, has been booked under various sections of the Income Tax Act and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The IT department has also issued a lookout notice against him and alerted the airports and railway stations to prevent him from fleeing the country.

Sahu’s links with Scindia have raised questions about the latter’s role and knowledge in the case. Scindia, who is a prominent leader of the BJP and a close aide of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had quit the Congress in 2020 and joined the saffron party, triggering a political crisis in Madhya Pradesh. He had also helped the BJP topple the Kamal Nath-led Congress government and bring Shivraj Singh Chouhan back to power.

Scindia, however, has denied any involvement or association with Sahu and has asserted that he will not spare anyone who is found guilty of corruption. He has also said that he will cooperate with the investigation and provide any information that is required by the IT department. .