Massive Liquor Scam Uncovered in Chhattisgarh
The Chhattisgarh Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has taken significant steps in unraveling what investigators describe as a deeply entrenched "commission and cash" syndicate that allegedly drained hundreds of crores from the state treasury. On Wednesday, the agency submitted its seventh chargesheet in the notorious liquor scam case before the Special Court (Prevention of Corruption Act) in Raipur.
This latest legal document names former excise commissioner and excise secretary Niranjan Das along with five other individuals as key players in the elaborate corruption network. With this development, the EOW has now filed formal charges against 50 accused persons in the case, while the investigation into the wider network and complex money trail continues to expand.
The Mastermind Behind Policy Manipulation
According to Amresh Mishra, the chief of EOW and Anti-Corruption Bureau, their extensive probe has conclusively demonstrated that during his nearly three-year tenure in the Excise Department, Niranjan Das systematically orchestrated unnecessary changes in excise policy and law. The investigation reveals that Das deliberately tampered with tender conditions and distorted departmental systems to benefit a liquor syndicate allegedly patronized by senior bureaucrat and retired IAS officer Anil Tuteja and prominent businessman Anwar Dhebar.
In return for these favors, investigators allege that Das received a fixed share of at least ₹50 lakh per month from the illegal collections operated by the syndicate. The financial analysis conducted during the investigation has already uncovered evidence of no less than ₹16 crore in illicit gains directly attributed to the former excise commissioner during his posting period.
The EOW has indicated that this amount could substantially increase as their financial scrutiny deepens and more evidence comes to light. The agency has discovered strong indications that this illegal income was systematically invested in immovable properties purchased in the names of Das and his family members, all of which are currently under detailed examination.
Faulty Licensing Regime and Massive Revenue Loss
The seventh chargesheet also focuses extensively on what the EOW describes as a deliberately "faulty" FL-10A foreign liquor licensing regime, allegedly designed specifically to extract commissions from liquor manufacturers. The investigative agency has named two directors of a private beverages company as direct beneficiaries of this manipulated policy framework.
Investigators claim that these two directors acted as crucial middlemen between the syndicate and various liquor companies, systematically collecting commissions from manufacturers and channeling the money to the cartel. Due to this corrupted licensing framework, the state government is estimated to have suffered a staggering revenue loss of at least ₹530 crore, while the beverages company and its directors allegedly gained approximately ₹114 crore in unlawful economic benefits.
The Cash Handling Network Exposed
The money-handling arm of the syndicate has also come under intense scrutiny in the latest chargesheet. The document names Nitesh Purohit, identified as a close associate of key accused Anwar Dhebar, and his son Yash Purohit, accusing them of playing an active role in collecting, storing, managing, and moving cash generated from the extensive liquor racket.
According to the probe findings, large volumes of cash were allegedly routed through their hotel located on Jail Road in Raipur, where collections were systematically kept, pooled, and dispatched further based on instructions from the syndicate leadership. Preliminary findings suggest that more than ₹1,000 crore of illegal funds may have been handled through this single channel alone, with the EOW emphasizing that a detailed forensic analysis of the money flows is still underway.
Another accused, Deepen Chawda, described as an old associate of Anwar Dhebar and manager of another hotel, has been accused of handling "big-ticket" cash operations for the cartel, indicating the sophisticated and multi-layered nature of the money laundering operation.
The EOW has assured that their investigation remains active and ongoing, with more revelations expected as they continue to follow the complex money trail and identify additional participants in what appears to be one of Chhattisgarh's most significant corruption scandals in recent years.
