Raids at Over 39 Locations in Alleged Liquor Scam : ACB-EOW Teams Arrive in Durg at 4 AM; Action Targets Associates of Kawasi Lakhma
Raipur
In a major development in the ongoing probe into the multi-crore Chhattisgarh liquor scam, teams from the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) conducted simultaneous raids at over 39 locations across the state on Monday, with 22 sites in Durg-Bhilai region alone coming under scrutiny.
The coordinated operation began around 4 AM when several ACB-EOW teams arrived in Bhilai in four vehicles. Raids were conducted at the residences and premises of several prominent businessmen believed to be linked to the scam.
One of the main targets was businessman Ashok Agrawal, whose residence at Amrapali Apartments in the Housing Board Colony was searched early in the morning. A team also visited his factories near Chhawani Chowk. Agrawal, reportedly a close aide of former Excise Minister Kawasi Lakhma, is accused of executing the liquor scam in collusion with the former minister. Officials have reportedly taken him to one of his factories as part of the ongoing investigation.
Further raids were conducted at the homes of Bansi Agrawal and Vishal Kejriwal in Nehru Nagar. In Khursipar, documents were being examined at the residence of Vinay Agrawal. In Nehru Nagar, the homes of Sanjay Goyal, director of Sparsh Hospital, and Ashish Gupta, owner of Ashish International Hotel in Supela, were also searched. In Durg, builder Vishwas Gupta’s premises were raided.
In Mahasamund district, the probe extended to Sankara and Basna, where a 20-member team searched the residences of Kailash Agrawal and Jai Bhagwan Agrawal, respectively, for financial and property-related documents.
The crackdown also reached Dhamtari, where an eight-member ACB-EOW team searched the residence of Saurabh Agrawal, son-in-law of Ashok Agrawal. Investigators suspect that proceeds from illegal liquor sales were used to acquire expensive land holdings.
This is the second round of major action in just three days. On Saturday, the ACB-EOW had raided 13 locations associated with former minister Kawasi Lakhma and his aides, seizing ₹19 lakh in cash, documents related to land deals, mobile phones, electronic devices, and several bank account details. Those raids were conducted across Raipur, Dantewada, Sukma, Jagdalpur, and Ambikapur.
What is the Chhattisgarh Liquor Scam?
The Chhattisgarh liquor scam, currently being probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the ACB, allegedly involves financial irregularities exceeding ₹2,000 crore. According to the FIR filed by the ED, a syndicate led by IAS officer Anil Tuteja, Excise Department MD A.P. Tripathi, and businessman Anwar Dhebar operated during the Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress government between 2019 and 2022. The scam allegedly involved the sale of illegal liquor through government-run outlets using counterfeit holograms, resulting in massive losses to the state’s revenue.
The ACB is now investigating the FIR and expanding the probe to individuals and entities suspected of facilitating or benefiting from the alleged scam. Further action is expected in the coming days as more evidence is collected.
