In a significant development in the Chhattisgarh liquor scam case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Raipur has apprehended retired IAS officer Niranjan Das. Charged under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) 2002, Das was presented before the Special Court (PMLA) in Raipur following his arrest on December 19. The ED has secured his custody for three days until December 22.
Investigations have exposed a well-coordinated syndicate that operated during the previous Congress government’s tenure (2019-2022), resulting in substantial losses to the state exchequer. The scam is believed to have generated proceeds of crime exceeding Rs 2,500 crore, with some estimates ranging between Rs 3,000-3,500 crore through illegal activities like commissions, liquor policy manipulation, and unregulated liquor sales.
Niranjan Das is alleged to have personally received approximately Rs 18 crore in illicit funds. Evidence from digital records, seized documents, and witness testimonies has established his complicity in the liquor syndicate. As a senior IAS officer, Das was strategically assigned additional roles as Excise Commissioner and Secretary of the Excise Department to facilitate the scam’s operation.
Das is accused of instructing field officers to promote the sale of illicit liquor, playing a crucial role in the corruption and subsequent money laundering. The scam involved a network of politicians, bureaucrats, and businessmen who manipulated liquor procurement, distribution, and sales through the Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation Limited (CSMCL), employing tactics like price fixing and unauthorized hologram issuance.
Several prominent individuals, including retired IAS officer Anil Tuteja, businessmen Arvind Singh and Trilok Singh Dhillon, former Excise Minister Kawasi Lakhma, and others, have been arrested by the ED in connection with the case. The investigation is ongoing as the ED traces financial trails and identifies potential beneficiaries of the scam.
