Raipur. Former Excise Minister Kawasi Lakhma has received major relief in the Chhattisgarh liquor scam case. The Supreme Court heard the case on Tuesday, after which the court granted Lakhma interim bail. Under the bail conditions, Lakhma must remain outside Chhattisgarh, although he will be able to visit Chhattisgarh during court appearances. He will also be required to surrender his passport and register his current address and mobile number with the relevant police station.
Lakhma has been in jail for the past year in connection with the liquor scam. He was accused of receiving commissions from a 70 crore rupee liquor scam. A bench of three judges, comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymala Bakchi, and Justice Pancholi, heard the cases filed by both the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the EOW. Lakhma was subsequently granted interim bail. After nearly a year, Lakhma will now be released from jail.
It should be noted that the ED arrested former Excise Minister Kawasi Lakhma on January 15, 2025. He was interrogated for seven days on remand. He was then sent to jail on judicial remand from January 21 to February 4. Since then, Kawasi Lakhma has been held in Raipur Central Jail. Lakhma will soon be released from jail.
Know why Lakhma was arrested
The ED alleges that former minister and current MLA Kawasi Lakhma was a key part of the syndicate. The syndicate operated under Lakhma’s direction. He assisted the liquor syndicate. He also played a key role in changing the liquor policy. The FL-10 license was introduced in Chhattisgarh at Kawasi Lakhma’s behest. The ED claims that Lakhma was aware of the irregularities occurring in the excise department, but did nothing to stop them.
ED lawyer Saurabh Pandey told the court that the liquor scam lasted for three years. Lakhma received Rs 2 crore every month. During this period, Lakhma received Rs 72 crore in 36 months. This amount was spent on the construction of his son Harish Kawasi’s house and the Congress Bhawan in Sukma. ED had said that the liquor scam in Chhattisgarh has caused huge losses to the government treasury. The liquor syndicate members were pocketed with illegal earnings of more than Rs 2,100 crore. Politicians, businessmen and officials made huge illegal earnings.
Know what is the liquor scam of Chhattisgarh
The ED is investigating the Chhattisgarh liquor scam. The ED has filed an FIR with the ACB. The FIR alleges a scam worth over ₹2,000 crore. The ED’s investigation found that the scam was perpetrated during the tenure of the then Bhupesh Baghel government through a syndicate consisting of IAS officer Anil Tuteja, Excise Department MD AP Tripathi, and businessman Anwar Dhebar.
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