Raipur: Economic Offence Wing (EOW) of Chhattisgarh on June 30 filed a supplementary chargesheet in connection with the alleged multi-crore liquor scam in Chhattisgarh.
In the 1200 page supplementary chargesheet filed before a special court in Raipur, the agency has named the former excise minister of Chhattisgarh and sitting Congress MLA from Konta of Sukma, Kawasi Lakhma. He has been lodging in jail since January this year.
According to details, the probe and examination of evidences gathered including financial analysis indicated an alleged gross misuse of the constitutional post held then by Lakhma as excise minister in manipulating the tender process and interfering in decisions. It indicated that Lakhma who was excise minister in the previous regime of the Congress government in Chhattisgarh led by former CM Bhupesh Baghel, got a share of over Rs 60 crore from the said scam.
“Under his protection, a well-planned scam was executed through departmental officers, associates and contractor. it has been proved that Kawasi Lakhma has received Rs 64 crore as his share as a result of the excise scam,” an EOW statement said.
The chargesheet filed by EOW before the special court on Monday was overall fourth in connection with the case. The agency in July last year had also filed a 9000 page chargesheet against key accused Anwar Dhebar, Arun Pati Tripathi and others before a special court of Raipur.
Arrest of Kawasi Lakhma
Enforcement Directorate (ED) in January this year arrested Kawasi Lakhma in connection with Rs 2100 crore liquor scam. Lakhma, a sitting MLA of the Congress party was taken into custody after he appeared before the agency’s zonal office at Raipur.
Following his arrest, the ED claimed that the Congress MLA was receiving a hefty sum of money on a monthly basis out of the proceeds of crime generated under Rs 2100 alleged liquor scam.
According to ED, Lakhma was paid Rs 2 crore on a monthly basis, which includes two separate payments of Rs 50 lakhs and Rs 1.5 crore.
“Two people Arun Pati Tripathi and Arvind Singh had given statements against him (Lakhma). Singh had disclosed that the liquor cartel used to pay Rs 50 lakhs monthly to Lakhma while Tripathi had informed about an additional payment of Rs 1.5 crore (monthly) to the former minister, said ED’s counsel.
As per the agency, Kawasi Lakhma was one of the main recipients of proceeds of crime in cash during his regime as excise minister in the previous Congress government of the state.
Chhattisgarh Liquor Scam
ED claimed to unearth Rs 2100 crore liquor scam in the state being operated by a cartel composed of bureaucrats, private liquor suppliers, government officials and persons with heavy political backing.
The agency’s investigation into the liquor scam, which ran between 2019 and 2022, revealed that proceeds of crime were generated as illegal commissions, which were generated in multiple ways.
The agency said that bribes were collected from the distillers per ‘case’ of liquor procured from them by the Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation Limited (CSMCL), a state body for the purchase and sale of liquor.
Sale of unaccounted “kacha off-the-books” country liquor was another way to generate illegal money, claimed the agency, adding “In this case, not even a single rupee reached the State Exchequer, and all the sale proceeds were pocketed by the syndicate. The illegal liquor was sold from state-run shops only”.
“Bribes are taken from distillers to allow them to make a cartel and have fixed market share, and holders who were introduced to earn in foreign liquor segment also,” said the ED.
EOW in January 2024 filed a separate First Information Report (FIR) into the matter, naming as many as 70 people including of businessmen, leaders of the Congress party, and a few state officials, in connection with the multi-crore scam. The case was registered on the basis of investigation done by the ED. The agency has so far arrested more than a dozen people in connection with the case and filed 4 chargesheet.
