Chhattisgarh Liquor Scam: Court Sends Saumya Chaurasia to 14-Day Judicial Custody, Says ED

Raipur: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has said that the court has sent Saumya Chaurasia to 14 days of judicial custody in connection with a money laundering investigation linked to the alleged liquor scam.

ED lawyer Saurabh Pandey on Friday said the agency had sought a custodial remand for Chaurasia after obtaining evidence against her in the case. "We required her custodial remand, which was granted for three days and ended today. After that, we requested the court to send her to judicial custody", he said.

Pandey said the court has ordered that Saumya Chaurasia be sent to judicial custody for 14 days, till January 2.

He further claimed that based on the evidence collected by the ED, proceeds of crime amounting to around Rs 115 crore from the liquor scam had come into Chaurasia's possession. "KK Shrivastava, in his statement, said that he transferred around Rs 72 crore on the instructions of Saumya Chaurasia", Pandey added.

The ED lawyer said the agency is confident about Chaurasia's involvement in the alleged liquor scam and that the investigation is continuing.

Earlier, former IAS officer Anil Tuteja, Arvind Singh, Trilok Singh Dhillon, Anwar Dhebar, former excise department officer Arun Pati Tripathi, Kawasi Lakhma (MLA and then Excise Minister of Chhattisgarh); and Chaitanya Baghel (son of Ex-CM Bhupesh Baghel) were arrested by the ED in the matter.

ED initiated an investigation into a First Information Report (FIR) registered by the Anti-Corruption Branch of the Economic Offences Wing of Chhattisgarh under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

Police investigations have revealed that the Chhattisgarh Liquor Scam caused a massive loss to the State Exchequer and generated more than Rs 2,500 crore in Proceeds of Crime (POC), enriching the beneficiaries through scheduled offences. 

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