ED Files Final Prosecution Complaint In Chhattisgarh Liquor 'Scam', 59 More Named As Accused

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a final prosecution complaint in the alleged liquor scam case in Chhattisgarh, naming 59 people, taking the total number of accused in the money laundering case to 81.

The final prosecution complaint was filed before the PMLA court in Raipur on Friday, complying with the Supreme Court's directions, the ED's counsel, Saurabh Kumar Pande, told PTI.

Earlier, 22 persons were named as accused in the case, and several of them were arrested. After completing the investigation related to those accused, prosecution complaints were filed against them in the past, he said.

The final prosecution complaint has now been filed against 59 more persons against whom investigation has been completed, Pande said.

The 59 include Soumya Chaurasia, the then deputy secretary at the Chief Minister's office, former IAS officer Niranjan Das, liquor licence holders, distributors and excise department officials, he said.

The prosecution's complaint summary runs into 315 pages, with documents of around 29,800 pages. The material includes direct evidence obtained through banking channels, documents showing attempts at money laundering, backdoor and purpose-driven entries, as well as digital evidence such as communication records, he said.

Pande said that the then commissioner of the state excise department, Niranjan Das, allegedly facilitated the smooth operation of the liquor scam and ensured no punitive action was taken anywhere, allowing it to continue unhindered.

The total proceeds of crime involved in the case are estimated to be around Rs 3,000 crore, he said.

According to the probe agency, the liquor "scam" in the state was orchestrated between 2019 and 2022, when the Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress government was in power in Chhattisgarh. The alleged scam resulted in a "massive loss" to the state exchequer and filled the pockets of the beneficiaries of a liquor syndicate, it said.

The ED arrested Congress MLA and former excise minister Kawasi Lakhma in January this year and Chaitanya Baghel, son of former chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, in July in connection with the alleged liquor scam.

The probe agency claimed Lakhma was the main recipient of proceeds of crime, while Chaitanya Baghel played a key role in handling nearly Rs 1,000 crore generated by the syndicate.

Businessman Anwar Dhebar (brother of Congress leader and former Raipur Mayor Aijaz Dhebar), former IAS officer Anil Tuteja, Indian Telecom Service (ITS) officer Arunpati Tripathi and some others were arrested in the case in the past.

The state's Economic Offence Wing/ Anti-Corruption Bureau has also registered an FIR in the alleged scam, probing the corruption angle.

On December 22, the EOW/ACB had filed its seventh supplementary chargesheet in the multi-crore liquor scam against Chaitanya Baghel.

It stated that evidence indicates that Chaitanya Baghel managed the proceeds of crime at a higher level and received around Rs 200-250 crore as his share.

The ongoing investigation into the scam suggests the proceeds of crime generated from the alleged scam could exceed Rs 3,500 crore, the EOW/ACB had claimed.