ED gets Lakhma’s remand, interrogation to continue

Chhattisgarh liquor scam case

Raipur (Team Newsbuddy): In the much-discussed liquor scam case, ED on Wednesday arrested former Excise Minister Kawasi Lakhma and presented him in the court of Justice Atul Srivastava. ED sought 14-day remand of Lakhma from the court. After hearing both the parties in the case, Kawasi Lakhma has been sent to 7-day remand. Now he will be produced on January 21.

ED had registered FIR on January 17

On the basis of information received from ED, ACB had registered an FIR in this case on January 17 this year. During the investigation, the agency arrested several absconding accused in the case, including former Special Secretary of Excise Department AP Tripathi. He has been arrested, currently he is lodged in Meerut jail in UP. After his arrest, ACB has arrested some other people along with a big liquor businessman of Bhilai.

In the liquor scam case, the names of IAS Niranjan Das, Anil Tuteja, his son Yash Tuteja along with AK Tripathi, Vivek Dhand and the then Excise Minister Kawasi Lakhma are included. 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.

ED had applied

It is being told that the application on the basis of which ED has registered an FIR in the liquor scam. That application was given by ED to ACB and EOW in March 2023. But then there was a Congress government in the state, so FIR was not registered at that time. But now after the change of power, the state government agency has registered FIR in these cases. FIR has been registered in both the cases under sections of fraud and corruption.

In 2015, the matter was given to ACB and EOW. But then there was a Congress government in the state, so FIR was not registered at that time. But now after the change of power, the state government agency has registered FIR in these cases. FIR has been registered in both the cases under sections of fraud and corruption.

Agency completed the investigation in record time

ACB and EOW had registered FIR in January this year in the liquor scam. But the investigation of the case gained momentum after IPS Amresh Mishra became the chief of the agency. Raipur Range IG Mishra was also given the charge of ACB-EOW on March 11. As soon as Mr. Mishra came, the investigation of the case gained momentum and in record time ACB is presenting the challan in the court today. Generally, the charge in ACB-EOW remains pending for a long time.

FIR is also registered in Noida

An FIR has also been registered in Noida in the liquor scam case. This FIR has been registered by Noida Police on the complaint of ED. In this, five people including the Secretary and Special Secretary of the Excise Department have been made accused. This FIR has been registered in Kasana police station of Noida under sections 420, 468, 471, 473 and 120B of IPC. In this FIR, ED has told Kasana Police of Noida that ED is investigating the liquor scam in Chhattisgarh.

Tender given against rules
In this investigation, ED has come to know that the tender was given to Noida-based M/s Prism Holography Security Films Private Limited in an illegal manner. Whereas the company was not even eligible to participate in the tender. Despite this, the company got the tender in connivance with the officers of the Excise Department of Chhattisgarh. It is alleged that the officers of Chhattisgarh took a commission of eight paise per hologram in this case. The name of the MD of the holography company, Vidu Gupta, is also mentioned in the FIR.