The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has launched a major action in connection with the ongoing investigation into the Chhattisgarh liquor scam. It is conducting raids at several locations linked to former Excise Minister Kawasi Lakhma, a senior leader of the Congress Party, and his associates.
As part of this operation, the ED team is carrying out raids at seven different places, including Kawasi Lakhma’s residence and the homes of his relatives.
ED Raids Former Chhattisgarh Excise Minister’s Properties
Among the properties raided are Kawasi Lakhma’s residence, located in Sukma, and the house of his son, Harish Lakhma. Additionally, the house of Nagar Palika President Jagannath Raju Sahu has also been targeted in the raid.
In a related development, the ED also raided the residence of Sushil Ojha, a senior Congress leader and close associate of Kawasi Lakhma. The ED team raided Ojha’s house, located in Chaubey Colony on GE Road. However, they did not find Sushil Ojha at his residence during the raid.
Following the raid, ED officials interrogated Sushil Ojha’s family members, including his wife, brother, servant, and driver. The ED is actively investigating the liquor scam as part of a larger effort to uncover details of the alleged corrupt practices involved.
Liquor Scam Investigation
The focus of the raids is the liquor scam that allegedly involved a sum of Rs 2,200 crore. The ED has implicated former Chhattisgarh Excise Minister Kawasi Lakhma in the scam and described several individuals, including former IAS officers Anil Tuteja, Anwar Dhebar, and Arunpati Tripathi, as key figures in the case.
The investigation points to the period when the Congress government was in power in Chhattisgarh, with claims that the scandal took place under their watch.
The ED has identified Anwar Dhebar, the brother of Congress leader Raman Dhebar, as the kingpin of the alleged Rs 2,000 crore liquor scam. The investigation has pointed to a complex web of illegal activities, including financial fraud, kickbacks, and the misappropriation of state funds related to the liquor distribution network in Chhattisgarh.
Moreover, the investigation is ongoing, with authorities determined to uncover the full extent of the fraudulent activities that have rocked the state’s political landscape.
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