Raipur, Dec 23 || In a major development in the high-profile Chhattisgarh liquor scam case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Raipur Zonal Office, has arrested a retired IAS officer, Niranjan Das
He has been charged under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. Following his arrest on December 19, Das was produced before the Special Court (PMLA) in Raipur, which remanded him to ED custody for three days until Tuesday (December 22). The ED’s probe originated from an FIR lodged by the Chhattisgarh Anti-Corruption Bureau/Economic Offences Wing (ACB/EOW) under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860, and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
Investigations have uncovered a well-orchestrated syndicate that operated during the previous Congress government (2019-2022), causing enormous losses to the state exchequer.
The scam is estimated to have generated proceeds of crime (POC) exceeding Rs 2,500 crore, with some assessments placing the figure between Rs 3,000-3,500 crore through illegal commissions, manipulation of liquor policies, and unchecked sale of unaccounted liquor.
According to the ED, Niranjan Das personally received around Rs 18 crore in illicit funds.