RAIPUR: Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday arrested Chhattisgarh Congress legislator and former excise minister Kawasi Lakhma in connection with an alleged liquor scam probe going on in the state.
Kawasi was produced before the PMLA Special Court in Raipur which has remanded him to ED custody for six days.
The Congress leader was summoned to the ED office for interrogation on Wednesday followed by his arrest and medical examination before being presented to court.
Speaking to reporters at Raipur court, Congress leader Kawasi Lakhma said, “Not a single penny or document was recovered from my premises and they say corruption has happened. They are sending me jail by implicating me in false case. This whole conspiracy has been hatched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah, chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai and the BJP government to target a poor man (like me), to silence the voice of Bastar. Also, to affect the urban body elections in Bastar, ED pressurized me to give related papers but they couldn’t get anything.”
Earlier, on December 28, 2024, ED had raided seven premises of Kawasi Lakhma and his son Harish, in Raipur, Sukmaand Dhamtari districts under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA, in connection with the alleged money laundering linked to liquor ‘scam’ case during Congress’ regime.
While Lakhma and son Harish were earlier also summoned at ED office on Jan 3 at Pachpedi Naka in Raipur, the arrest was made on Wednesday.
Replying to a question on Kawasi’s allegations, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said, “ED is doing its investigation and anyone found guilty will have to face action.”
Deputy chief minister Vijay Sharma who holds home portfolio said that ED has made the arrest under the case registered. He reacted on Lakhma’s allegations said, “this is not done. The case has clarity that there have been evidences found during raids.”
Kawasi’s counsel Faizal Rizvi said that despite that he was supporting ED during questioning, he has been arrested, though Kawasi claimed that he was arrested only to impact the upcoming urban body elections.
While ED lawyer Saurabh Pandey said, “From the statement of earlier arrested in the case, AP Tripathi and Arvind Singh, it was clear that Singh used to send Rs 50 lakh per month from liquor cartel as Lakhma’s share, being an excise minister. Besides, Tripathi during interrogation, has accepted that Rs 1.5 crore was being given to Lakhma, which means Rs 2 crore monthly was given to him for 36 months continuously. As of now, we have calculated the projected proceeds of crime worth Rs 72 crore.”
Explaining about the modus operandi, Pandey said that an excise department person Iqbal Khan would deliver the money packets to Lakhma’s home as well as the digital evidences from one Jagannath Sahu shows that the money was sent for construction of the house of Kawasi’s son Harish in Sukma and for building Congress bhavan.
Lawyer Pandey said that Jayant Dewagan, then OSD of Lakhma also confirmed the delivery of money through Kanhaiyalal Kurrey.
“Since ED needed to investigate in detail about roles of others in the crime, we asked for 14 days ED remand of Kawasi but the court granted remand till Jan 21,” Pandey said.
Opposition Congress has condemned the ED’s move, accusing the agency of “harassing and defaming people across the country”.
Former chief minister and Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel took to X stating that the arrest of former minister and senior legislator Kawasi Lakhma, is an act driven by vindictive motives.
“At the behest of their masters in the central government, the ED is conspiring to defame Congress leaders. The entire Congress party stands with Lakhma,” Baghel said
Leader of Opposition Charandas Mahant said, “The arrest of Lakhma is a living example of the BJP’s national character and its spiteful politics. Using government agencies to entrap and defame Congress and opposition leaders under the guise of an investigation is part of the BJP’s dirty political game. We strongly oppose such repressive actions against a simple, down-to-earth tribal leader.”
ED in its press note had stated that Lakhma was the agency has evidences on use of cash by Lakhma “in relation to the points of concern” during the period of the liquor scam. Several digital devices seized during the operation are believed to contain incriminating records, a statement by ED said.
In the past, ED had arrested several individuals including liquor businessman Anwar Dhebar (brother of former Raipur mayor Ejaz Dhebar), and excise department officer AP Tripathi.
According to ED, the liquor scam played out between 2019 and 2022, when excise officials and businessmen colluded to sell fake liquor at govt-run shops, causing losses of millions to the state exchequer. ED has filed anFIR with anti-corruption bureau.