EOW to Question 67 Individuals in Chhattisgarh Liquor Scam: Retired IAS Officers, Excise Officials, and Distillers Under Scrutiny

The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) is investigating a scam related to alcohol in Chhattisgarh. They are questioning 67 people involved, including retired IAS officers, excise department officials, and alcohol distillers.

The investigation team is moving swiftly, having already interrogated former excise officer Arunpati Tripathi, businessman Anwar Dhebar, and Arvind Singh. Now, they’re preparing to question 67 others linked to the scam.

The investigation revolves around a major alcohol scam in Chhattisgarh. The EOW team has been looking into how a syndicate operated and conducted its activities.

According to reports shared by EOW officers with the media, the syndicate involved three firms – M/s. Nexusgen Power Injectech Pvt. Ltd., M/s. Om Sai Beverages Pvt. Ltd., and M/s. Disha Ventures Pvt. Ltd. These companies were given FL-10A licenses.

The directors of these firms were Sanjay Mishra and Manish Mishra for M/s. Nexusgen Power Injectech Pvt. Ltd., Atul Kumar Singh and Mukesh Manchanda for M/s. Om Sai Beverages Pvt. Ltd., and Ashish Saurabh Kedia for M/s. Disha Ventures Pvt. Ltd.

These firms earned profits by procuring alcohol from foreign manufacturers and selling it to the state government, earning a 10% profit. 60% of this profit went to the syndicate, while the remaining 40% went to license holders.

According to the EOW, from the financial years 2020-21 to 2022-23, M/s. Om Sai Beverages Pvt. Ltd. earned a profit of ₹90,45,97,654, M/s. Disha Ventures Pvt. Ltd. earned ₹74,80,41,515, and M/s. Nexusgen Power Injectech Pvt. Ltd. earned ₹46,22,30,501.

In total, the syndicate received a commission of ₹2,11,48,69,670 from these profits. Additionally, there is information about Niranjandas receiving ₹18 crore from the sale of duplicate holograms in domestic alcohol sales, and Vijay Bhatia, a 50% partner in M/s. Om Sai Beverages Pvt. Ltd., benefiting from illegal profits.

The investigation is ongoing, with authorities working to uncover the full extent of the scam and bring those responsible to justice.