OVER Rs 800 crore in cash allegedly generated through the Chhattisgarh liquor scam was delivered to Rajiv Bhawan, the State Congress headquarters in Raipur, on the instructions of former Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) Treasurer Ramgopal Agrawal, the Enforcement Directorate Raipur Zonal Office (EDRPZO) has alleged in its latest prosecution complaint. The elite federal agency has filed a supplementary prosecution complaint against Agrawal before the Special Court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, on October 9, besides provisionally attaching two residential properties worth Rs 9.06 crore in Raipur. Agrawal, arrested on August 11, remains in judicial custody. According to the agency, Laxmi Narayan Bansal alias Pappu Bansal handled substantial cash collections, which were transported by syndicate associates and delivered to Devendra Dadsena, an accountant working under Agrawal, at Rajiv Bhawan in Shankar Nagar. Investigators estimate that approximately Rs 860 crore to Rs 880 crore passed through this channel, of which nearly Rs 72 crore allegedly remained under Agrawal’s control for retention, utilisation or distribution.

 

The agency maintains that contemporaneous digital records, call detail records and statements recorded under Section 50 of the PMLA corroborate the alleged delivery mechanism and Agrawal’s involvement. Two flats situated in Anupam Nagar and Katora Talab have consequently been provisionally attached as properties of equivalent value.The money laundering investigation originated from an offence registered by the State Economic Offences Wing/AntiCorruption Bureau against Anil Tuteja, Anwar Dhebar, Arun Pati Tripathi, Kawasi Lakhma and others. The central probe agency alleges that a liquor syndicate exercised control over the Excise Department and Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation Limited between 2019 and 2023, generating proceeds exceeding Rs 2,883 crore. Its alleged revenue streams included illegal commissions on country liquor supplies, unaccounted sales through Government outlets using duplicate holograms, annual payments from distillers and manipulation of the FL-10A foreign liquor licensing mechanism. Before the latest filing, the ED-RPZO had submitted an original prosecution complaint and six supplementary complaints, arrested nine persons and attached, seized or frozen assets exceeding Rs 601.28 crore. Following the latest attachment, the cumulative value stands at approximately Rs 610.34 crore. The agency said identification of other beneficiaries and further investigation are continuing.