Raipur In a major development in the high-profile Chhattisgarh liquor scam case, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) on Wednesday filed the seventh chargesheet before the Special Court (Prevention of Corruption Act), Raipur. The chargesheet names six accused, including former Excise Commissioner and Excise Secretary Niranjan Das. With this, the total number of accused charge-sheeted in the case has reached 50, while the investigation is still underway.
■ Former Excise Commissioner received over ₹16 crore illegally, says investigation
According to EOW findings, accused Niranjan Das, during his nearly three-year tenure in the Excise Department, allegedly:
- Made unnecessary changes in excise policies and regulations
- Manipulated tender conditions
- Wilfully disrupted the system
All with the intent to benefit the syndicate allegedly backed by Anil Tuteja and Anwar Dhebar, which was operating to collect illegal commissions from liquor businesses.
The investigation has revealed that Das received a minimum of ₹50 lakh per month as a share in illegal commission. So far, evidence confirms that he amassed at least ₹16 crore through the scam, which was diverted into various properties purchased in the names of himself and his family members. EOW suspects that the illegal earnings could be much higher, and further investigation is in progress.
■ Revenue loss of ₹530 crore due to faulty FL-10A licensing policy
The chargesheet also names Atul Singh and Mukesh Manchanda, directors of Om Sai Beverages Pvt. Ltd., who allegedly benefited from the fraudulent FL-10A licensing system, created to extract illegal commissions from liquor manufacturing companies.
The probe shows that both acted as intermediaries between the syndicate and liquor companies, transferring commission money to the syndicate.
Due to this flawed licensing policy, the state government suffered a minimum revenue loss of ₹530 crore, while the accused and their company allegedly made illegal earnings worth around ₹114 crore.
■ Illegal money routed through Hotel Giriraj and Wellington Court
Accused Nitesh Purohit and his son Yash Purohit—close aides of Anwar Dhebar—are charged with:
- Collecting and storing illegal cash in Hotel Giriraj (Jail Road, Raipur)
- Managing and transporting the money to various locations
Preliminary investigation indicates that the two helped manage and operate over ₹1,000 crore of illegal proceeds generated through the liquor scam.
Another key figure named in the chargesheet, Dipen Chawda, a close associate of Anwar Dhebar and manager of Hotel Wellington Court, allegedly:
- Delivered large amounts of cash to influential individuals
- Handled hawala-based financial operations
- Distributed money to various persons on the syndicate’s direction
The probe also finds that Chawda served as a director in AJS Agro, a company created for channeling illegal commission, through which crores were invested in land and assets. After the Income Tax raid in February 2020, Chawda reportedly handled over ₹1,000 crore in cash and gold for the syndicate, storing them at secret locations and transferring funds as instructed.
■ All accused remain in judicial custody
All six accused named in the latest chargesheet are currently lodged in Central Jail, Raipur under judicial custody.
The EOW has stated that investigation continues and further disclosures, arrests, and attachment of properties are likely.