EOW raids at two close associates of former CM Bhupesh Baghel

Investigation is going on at 2 places in Bhilai amid tight police security.

Bhilai (Team Newsbuddy) : EOW-ACB, the state government agency investigating various scams including alleged coal and liquor scams in the previous Congress government in Chhattisgarh, has conducted raids . The bureau has conducted this raid at two different places in Bhilai. The people who have been raided are said to be close to former CM Bhupesh Baghel. It is not yet clear in which case these raids have been conducted.

According to sources, the EOW-ACB team raided New Khursipar and Nehru Nagar early this morning. Action is going on at the residence of Pappu Bansal in Khursipar and Vijay Bhatia, a resident of Nehru Nagar East. It is being told that Bansal was being searched for a long time. It is to be noted that EOW-ACB is currently investigating the liquor case. In this case, the Bureau has arrested businessmen Arvind Singh and Anwar Dhebar. On the instructions of the court, both have been taken into custody and are being questioned. According to sources in the investigation agency, the raid in Bhilai has been conducted on the basis of information received during the interrogation of Arvind Singh and Anwar Dhebar.

Anwar Dhebar and Arvind Singh, brothers of Raipur Mayor Ejaz Dhebar, who were arrested on charges of liquor scam, will now remain in the custody of EOW-ACB till April 12. On the completion of the remand period of both the accused, the Bureau presented both of them in the Special Court of Raipur on April 8. The Bureau sought extension of remand for interrogating the accused, which was accepted by the court.

*New FIR in liquor and coal scam: Former minister Bhagat, Lakhma, former CS and more than 100 others named, FIR registered on ED’s application

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  Two separate FIRs have been registered in Chhattisgarh regarding the coal and liquor scam. This FIR has been registered by ACB-EOW, the state government agency that takes action against corruption. It includes Kawasi Lakhma, who was the excise minister in the previous government, and the then food minister Amarjeet Bhagat, along with more than half a dozen Congress MLAs, officers and liquor (distillery) businessmen.

According to sources, ACB-EOW has registered this FIR on the basis of the application of Sandeep Ahuja, deputy director of the central investigation agency Enforcement Directorate (ED). Both the FIRs were registered on January 17, 2024. The FIRs are numbered 3/2024 and 4/2024. The names of AIS officer Niranjandas, Anil Tuteja, his son Yash Tuteja along with AK Tripathi, Vivek Dhand and the then Excise Minister Kawasi Lakhma are involved in the liquor scam. Anwar Dhebar, Arvind Singh, Vijay Bhatia along with more than a dozen officers and employees of the Excise Department are involved in the liquor scam. At the same time, about 35 people including Suryakant Tiwari, Saumya Chaurasia, IAS Sameer, Ranu Sahu, State Congress Treasurer Ram Gopal Agarwal, Minister Amarjeet Bhagat, MLA Devendra Yadav, then Congress MLA Shishupal Sori, Chandradev Rai, Brihaspat Singh, Gulab Kamro, UD Minj, Vinod Tiwari, Idrish Gandhi and Sunil Agarwal have been made accused in the coal scam.