The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) intensified its investigation into Chhattisgarh’s multi-crore liquor scam with a series of high-profile raids on Saturday, targeting Congress MLA and former Excise Minister Kawasi Lakhma, his son Harish Kawasi, and close associates, including Sushil Ojha and Raju Sahu. Raids spanned multiple locations in Raipur, Sukma, and Durg, seizing critical documents, mobile devices, and other assets.
At Lakhma’s Dharmapura residence in Raipur, ED officials reportedly confiscated several documents and mobile phones. Similarly, a raid at Sushil Ojha’s Choubey Colony home led to significant discoveries, although Ojha has since gone into hiding. In Sukma, ED officials searched the residences of Harish Kawasi and Raju Sahu, recovering additional documents. Speaking to the media on Sunday, Kawasi Lakhma claimed ignorance of the alleged Rs 2,161 crore scam. “I am an uneducated man,” he stated. “Officials like Arunpat Tripathi made me sign papers. I don’t know how much money was involved; I never received a single rupee.” He alleged that the raids were politically motivated, designed to tarnish his reputation ahead of municipal and panchayat elections. Lakhma also revealed that ED officials questioned him extensively about his and his family’s properties.
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“I have only four acres of ancestral land and no other major assets acquired during my tenure,” he asserted, adding that he had requested time to furnish property details. The Congress party condemned the ED’s actions, labeling them as an attempt by the BJP to target opposition leaders. Congress communications head Sushil Anand Shukla said, “The timing of these raids, just before local elections, exposes the BJP’s agenda to defame tribal leaders and disrupt the democratic process. We will fight this battle politically.” The raids are part of ED’s probe into Chhattisgarh’s infamous liquor scam, which allegedly involved top bureaucrats, contractors, and politicians.
The scam, centered around the state’s excise department, reportedly funneled massive commissions into a secretive syndicate. Former IAS officer Arunpat Tripathi and Anwar Dhebar, identified as the scam’s masterminds, are also under investigation.
According to the ED, Lakhma’s signatures were found on several incriminating documents, making him a key figure in the probe. Sources allege that the former minister received a monthly commission of Rs 50 lakh during his tenure, while his OSD is also under scrutiny for alleged complicity.
The raids have sparked a political storm in Chhattisgarh, with opposition leaders accusing the BJP-led central government of using investigative agencies to intimidate its rivals. Meanwhile, Lakhma has been summoned for questioning on Monday, alongside his son Harish Kawasi.
