Chhattisgarh Liquor Scam: ED's Big Crackdown, Congress Bhawan And Properties Attached

Raipur: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday seized the Congress Bhawan and two more properties in connection with the alleged Chhattisgarh liquor scam. Following the central agency's action, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai took aim at the previous Congress-led government in the state, saying action will definitely be taken against culprits who committed corruption for five years. 

According to reports, the probe agency attached three properties worth Rs 6.15 crore, including the Congress Bhawan in Sukma. The properties attached are reportedly in the names of former Excise Minister Kawasi Lakhma and his son Harish Kawasi.

The ED's investigation revealed that Kawasi Lakhma, the then Excise Minister of Chhattisgarh, was allegedly receiving Rs 2 crore per month from the liquor scam, amounting to Rs 72 crore in 36 months. The agency also found that the corruption in the liquor scam, which ran between 2019 and 2022, resulted in a massive loss to the state exchequer and generation of more than Rs 2161 crore worth of Proceeds of Crime (POC).

Chief Minister Hits Congress

After ED's action, Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai has launched a scathing attack on the opposition Congress, accusing it of large-scale corruption during its tenure. "For 5 years, they have done corruption. Now, central and state agencies are investigating it, and action will definitely be taken against the culprits," CM Sai said. "If they feel that injustice is being done to them, then they can definitely go to court. And what can they do? They can do this only because they are in the opposition," he added.

ED's Investigation

The ED's investigation has revealed that the attached properties were constructed using the proceeds of crime. Rs 68 lakh was employed in the construction of Congress Bhawan located in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district, Rs 1.40 crore was utilised in the construction of the house of Harish Lakhma, and Rs 2.24 crore was utilised in the construction of Kawasi Lakhma's own house at Raipur. Notably, Kawasi Lakhma is presently under judicial custody.

The ED's investigation is ongoing, and the agency has attached properties worth nearly Rs 205 crore in the past. The agency is working to bring those responsible for the scam to justice. 

Further action in the probe into Chhattisgarh's liquor scam is underway.