Raipur: In a fresh escalation of the ongoing Chhattisgarh liquor scam case, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) on Monday filed its fourth chargesheet, a nearly 1,200-page document, before the Special Court under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Former Excise Minister Kawasi Lakhma, who held the portfolio between 2019 and 2023 and is currently in judicial custody, has been formally named as the primary accused in this supplementary filing.
The chargesheet submission comes as Lakhma’s judicial remand expired the same day.
Appearing before the court via video conferencing, the former minister now faces further legal scrutiny as investigators allege he systematically manipulated regulatory frameworks.
According to the EOW, backed by financial records and witness accounts, Lakhma used his office to sway policy decisions, influence key appointments, rig tender processes, and facilitate the flow of unaccounted cash through an informal network.
This follows an earlier move on March 13 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which filed a 3,841-page prosecution complaint naming 21 individuals — including Lakhma —as accused.
That filing detailed deep-rooted financial irregularities involving politicians, bureaucrats, and liquor contractors.
The ED and EOW assert that between 2019 and 2022, excise contracts and retail licences were unfairly allotted to favoured entities, creating a nexus of political patronage and corporate profiteering.
Sources familiar with the investigation say the latest chargesheet includes digital evidence, expanded testimonies, and internal communication records that shed more light on how the alleged cartel operated.
Investigators further allege that shell companies and fake billing mechanisms were used to divert revenues from liquor sales, with monthly bribes — reportedly amounting to several crores — distributed among officials and middlemen.
The development has fuelled calls from the Opposition for an expanded and independent probe.
Political analysts note that the Rs 2,100 crore scam is rapidly becoming one of the most high-profile corruption cases in Chhattisgarh’s recent history.
With both the EOW and ED submitting exhaustive documentation, the unfolding legal proceedings could have lasting implications on the state’s political and administrative circles.
(IANS)
