RAIPUR: In a significant development, Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday, December 26 filed its final prosecution complaint in around Rs 3000 crore alleged liquor scam in Chhattisgarh. The agency in the final chargesheet filed has named 59 individuals, taking the total number of accused in the case to 81.
The agency filed its final prosecution complaint as per the direction of the Supreme Court which had earlier instructed ED to file the chargesheet within 3 months in September this year.
According to ED’s counsel Saurabh Pandey, the agency had earlier named 22 accused in the case and submitted prosecution complaint against them after completing the investigation. The final chargesheet in the case was filed after the agency completed investigation against the other accused including IAS Niranjan Das and former OSD in Chhattisgarh CMO, Saumya Chaurasia.
The agency has reportedly submitted a 315 page prosecution summary in over 29000-page chargesheet, containing digital and other evidences related to the money laundering case.
ED on December 16 arrested Saumya Chaurasia, a former OSD and deputy secretary of ex-Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel in connection with the case. Chaurasia is also an accused in multiple other alleged scams. The agency arrested retired IAS Niranjan Das on December 19.
Chhattisgarh liquor scam case
The multi-crore liquor scam that allegedly flourished in the tenure of the then Congress government in the state resulted in a massive loss to the state exchequer and filled the pockets of the beneficiaries, according to the investigative agencies.
ED has so far arrested several prominent figures in the case, including former IAS officer Anil Tuteja, ITS Arun Pati Tripathi, businessmen Arvind Singh, Trilok Singh Dhillon and Anwar Dhebar, senior Congress leader Kawasi Lakhma and Chaitanya Baghel, son of former CM Bhupesh Baghel.
Lakhma a former Excise Minister and sitting MLA from Bastar was arrested in connection with the multi-crore scam in January 2025. As per ED, Lakhma used to receive a substantial amount in cash on a monthly basis out of PoC generated from the said liquor scam.
Lakhma’s arrest was followed by another high-profile arrest in the case with ED arresting Chaitanya Baghel, son of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel in July. The agency claimed that Baghel played a key role in handling the proceeds of Crime worth around Rs 1000 crore.
ED’s fresh investigation into the case stems from an FIR registered by the Anti-Corruption Bureau/Economic Offence Wing (ACB/EOW) in January last year, in which it named a total of 70 individuals.
