Chhattisgarh EOW submits charge sheet in multi-crore liquor scam

Raipur, July 7 (IANS) In a major development in the alleged multi-crore liquor scam in Chhattisgarh, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) on Monday submitted a copious charge sheet before the special court, naming over 29 excise department officers as accused, sources said.

The charge sheet, comprising more than 5,000 pages bundled into 29 files, details the roles of each officer in what investigators describe as a meticulously designed corruption network that operated between 2019 and 2023.

According to the EOW, the scam involved the illegal sale of liquor bearing duplicate holograms, which was routed directly from distilleries to retail outlets “under the supervision of district excise officials”.

Despite the gravity of the allegations, none of the officers named in the charge sheet has been arrested so far. Most of them continue to serve in their respective positions within the department while few others have retired, said the sources.

The investigation reveals that the corruption began in February 2019, when 200 trucks carrying 800 crates of liquor each were dispatched monthly from distilleries.

Initially, each crate was sold at Rs 2,840. As the operation expanded, the monthly volume doubled to 400 trucks, with crate prices rising to Rs 3,880. Over a span of three years, more than 60 lakh crates of liquor were allegedly sold illegally, generating illicit revenue of approximately Rs 2,174.60 crore.

The EOW’s findings suggest that district excise officers collected Rs 319 crore from liquor suppliers during this period, of which Rs 280 crore was amassed between April 2019 and June 2022 alone. This money was allegedly funnelled to a syndicate operating “under the protection of political leaders from the previous government”.

The scam, which has already led to the arrest of former Excise Minister Kawasi Lakhma and the exposure of a parallel cash-based system within the department, continues to unravel.

Investigators have indicated that the proceeds were used for personal enrichment and political funding, with some funds allegedly diverted to party infrastructure and private construction projects.

The court is expected to summon the accused officers in the coming days.

Meanwhile, the EOW has hinted at further arrests and supplementary charge sheets as the probe deepens into one of the state’s most extensive corruption scandals.

--IANS

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