Chhattisgarh EOW Files 10th Supplementary Charge Sheet in Rs 3,200-Crore Liquor Scam

The Chhattisgarh Economic Offence Wing/Anti-Corruption Bureau (EOW/ACB) on Wednesday filed its 10th supplementary charge sheet in the alleged Rs 3,200-crore liquor scam, naming 20 individuals, including former state Congress treasurer Ramgopal Agrawal, and 22 firms as accused.

The 27,000-page charge sheet, along with supporting documents, was submitted before a special Prevention of Corruption Act court in Raipur, the agency said.

According to the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the alleged scam took place between 2019 and 2022, when the state was governed by the Congress under then Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. The latest filing details alleged illegal liquor production and sales, commission collection, hawala transactions and the diversion of proceeds into companies, businesses and properties.

The agency alleged that Agrawal received, managed and transferred more than Rs 1,000 crore in cash in the name of party funds. Yash Tuteja, son of former IAS officer Anil Tuteja, was allegedly involved in routing illicit funds through family accounts and assets and disguising their origin through land transactions.

The charge sheet also names distillery executives, liquor suppliers, transporters and other alleged members of the syndicate. Investigators claimed that distilleries produced additional quantities of country liquor without paying excise duty. The liquor, described as “Part-B”, was allegedly sold through government outlets using duplicate holograms and fake transport permits, with proceeds kept outside official accounts.

The agency estimated that 60.5 lakh boxes of illicit liquor sold across 15 districts had a gross sale value of approximately Rs 2,174.67 crore.

The filing further alleges that commissions from foreign liquor suppliers were routed through private intermediaries and that cash was transferred to several cities through hawala and angadia networks. Some funds were allegedly invested in real estate projects linked to Chaitanya Baghel, the son of the former chief minister.

Agrawal is currently in judicial custody, while a lookout circular has been issued against accused B R Lohia, who is living abroad. Former excise minister and Congress MLA Kawasi Lakhma, along with Chaitanya Baghel, were arrested by the ED and the state agency last year in connection with the case.