IN A major escalation of its ongoing probe into the Rs 3,200 crore Chhattisgarh liquor scam, the Enforcement Directorate’s Raipur Zonal Office (ED-RPZO) on Tuesday morning launched simultaneous search and seizure operations across three states -Chhattisgarh, New Delhi, and Goa. The action marks a fresh chapter in the federal agency’s sustained investigation into one of the largest excise scams unearthed in the country. The operations, which commenced at 6.30 am on July 15, were executed at five separate locations, targeting individuals and establishments suspected of laundering the scam’s illicit proceeds. In Chhattisgarh, ED officials carried out searches at Hotel Sagar International owner Vijay Agarwal’s plush residence in Durg district, along with raids at the premises of his nephew Rahul Agarwal. Parallel raids were conducted at two office premises of Sir Biotech India Limited in New Delhi and at one residence and one office in Goa. The search operations were directly supervised by EDRPZO Joint Director Prabhakar Prabhat, with on-ground execution led by Deputy Director Hemant Kumar, who is also the lead investigation officer of the liquor scam case.

 

The ED team was reinforced with 40 personnel, including 25 armed CRPF troopers, underlining the high-risk profile of the operation. According to senior officials familiar with the developments, the fresh searches were triggered by new findings that Vijay Agarwal and Rahul Agarwal allegedly used the scam’s Proceeds of Crime (PoC) to convert black money into white through clandestine financial routes. The ED suspects that the duo attempted to mainstream large sums of tainted money linked to the liquor racket via shell companies and benami investments, necessitating the multi-state action. Sources confirmed that the searches have yielded heaps of incriminating material, including loose documents, financial records, and digital evidence, all of which point to a wider conspiracy to camouflage illegally amassed wealth. Additionally, over Rs 70 lakh in unaccounted cash has been seized from various premises, while quantification of more cash and valuables is currently underway. A senior officer privy to the preliminary findings of the searches told The Hitavada, on condition of anonymity, that the raids are likely to continue till Wednesday morning. “Recording of statements under Section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) is underway and may take considerable time due to the sheer volume of documents recovered,” the official said.

 

The latest ED action comes close on the heels of a July 14 Supreme Court order rejecting the bail plea of businessman Anwar Dhebar, the de-facto excise minister and scam kingpin in the previous Congress regime in Chhattisgarh led by former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. The apex court had described the scam as “serious” and flagged Dhebar’s role in influencing tenders and manipulating market share for personal gain. Notably, the state’s State Economic Offences Investigation and AntiCorruption Bureau (SEOIACB) had recently pegged the scam’s estimated size at over Rs 3,200 crore, with the Enforcement Directorate’s estimate at Rs 2,100 crore for the money laundering component. As per previous investigations, the liquor scam was orchestrated between 2019 and 2023, involving high-profile accused including former excise minister Kawasi Lakhma, retired IAS officer Anil Tuteja, businessman Anwar Dhebar, and top excise official Arunpati Tripathi. The scam allegedly involved manipulation of excise policies, rigging of hologram tenders, and parallel sale of unaccounted liquor across Chhattisgarh. A senior ED officer hinted that more arrests and follow-up searches are imminent, given the nature of evidence collected during Tuesday’s operation.