Raipur, October 14. The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Chhattisgarh have filed their 10th chargesheet in the multi-crore liquor scam, submitting a document spanning approximately 27,000 pages. The chargesheet names 20 individuals and 22 firms and companies in connection with the alleged scam, estimated to involve more than ₹3,200 crore. Prominent names mentioned include Ramgopal Agarwal, Yash Tuteja and Akhtar Dhebar.
According to the investigating agencies, the alleged scam involved illegal liquor production and distribution, the use of forged documents, manipulation of official records and the generation of commissions through an organised network. The investigation has also uncovered allegations of money laundering through hawala and angadiya networks.
Illegal Part-B Liquor Sales Account for Over ₹2,174 Crore
Investigators allege that distillery operators supplied unrecorded Part-B liquor without paying excise duties. The liquor was reportedly transported to government liquor shops using duplicate holograms and forged transport permits. The investigation also points to alleged attempts to bypass scanning procedures and maintain sales records separately from official accounts.
According to the chargesheet, the estimated value of illegal sales of 60,50,950 cases of Part-B liquor across 15 districts stands at approximately ₹2,174.67 crore.
The investigation also cites ₹319.27 crore in Part-A commissions, ₹52 crore in Part-C commissions, ₹281.89 crore in foreign liquor commissions and ₹248.51 crore in gross profits allegedly earned by FL-10A licensees.
Together, these figures amount to approximately ₹3,076.34 crore, according to the investigation’s estimates.
Distillery Operators, Hologram Suppliers Among Those Named
The chargesheet names several business owners and executives, including Naveen Kedia of Chhattisgarh Distillery Limited, Rajendra Jaiswal of Welcome Distillery, and Bhupendra Pal Singh Bhatia and Prince Bhatia of Bhatia Wines Merchants.
Investigators allege that Vidhu Gupta and his company, Prism Holography and Security Films, supplied duplicate holograms. Navneet Gupta and Satyendra Prakash Garg have been accused of supplying additional empty bottles, while Ashok Singh allegedly managed transportation operations.
Foreign liquor supply operations involving FL-10A licensees, including Dishita Ventures, Om Sai Beverages and Nexgen Power Engitech, have also come under scrutiny.
Manpower agency operators, including Vikas Kumar, Rajeev Dwivedi, N. Uday Rao and B.R. Lohia, have allegedly assisted the syndicate by bypassing scanning procedures for Part-B liquor and keeping sales proceeds separate from official records.
Hawala Network Allegedly Used to Route Proceeds
According to the investigating agencies, proceeds from the alleged illegal activities were routed through hawala and angadiya networks to cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Rajkot, as well as Dubai.
The funds were allegedly channelled into shell companies and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) as unsecured loans before being invested in real estate and other commercial assets.
Investigators are continuing to examine the financial transactions, the alleged proceeds of crime and assets suspected to have been acquired using the funds.
Look-Out Circular Issued Against Absconding Accused
The chargesheet states that Ramgopal Agarwal is currently in judicial custody. The agency has also filed the chargesheet against B.R. Lohia and Kumar Bhai Thakker, alias Khanjan Thakker, as absconding accused.
A look-out circular has been issued against B.R. Lohia, who reportedly resides abroad. Authorities are planning further action with the assistance of Interpol to trace him.
Prosecution proceedings are underway under the provisions of the Indian Penal Code, the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Chhattisgarh Excise Act. Further investigations into the alleged financial irregularities and money laundering are continuing.
