EOW Files 6th Chargesheet in Chhattisgarh Liquor Scam, Exposes ₹248cr Loss via Foreign Liquor Policy

Raipur

The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Chhattisgarh Police filed its sixth chargesheet in the state’s liquor scam before a special court in Raipur on Tuesday. The chargesheet mainly focuses on commissions from the sale of foreign liquor.

The investigation has revealed that a syndicate was active within the Excise Department. It involved officials Anil Tuteja, Arunapati Tripathi, Niranjan Das, along with Anwar Dhebar, Vikas Agrawal, Arvind Singh, and others. They controlled illegal activities, including per-case commissions on liquor supplied to government-run shops, commissions to suppliers for market share, and selling illegally produced liquor from distilleries.

The EOW found that some foreign liquor suppliers were not ready to pay cash commissions to the syndicate. To counter this, the syndicate introduced the FL-10A/B licensing system. This new excise policy was approved by the state cabinet in 2020-21 without following proper procedures. The move caused a minimum loss of ₹248 crore to the state treasury while benefiting private individuals and agencies.

Before 2020-21, the Excise Department’s beverage corporation purchased foreign liquor, added duties, and sold it through government shops, with profits going to the state exchequer. The new policy sidelined the state corporation and granted FL-10A licences to three private companies. These companies, reportedly close to the syndicate, purchased foreign liquor from suppliers, added a 10 per cent margin, and sold it to the state marketing corporation. This margin was then divided.

The three licensed companies were Om Sai Beverages Pvt Ltd, Nexgen Power Engitech Pvt Ltd, and Dishita Ventures Pvt Ltd.

The chargesheet names Vijay Kumar Bhatia, who was a hidden beneficiary in Om Sai Beverages. Bhatia reportedly received 52 per cent of the company’s share after 60 per cent of its profit was paid to the syndicate. He earned nearly ₹14 crore from the arrangement. The chargesheet also names Sanjay Mishra (owner of Nexgen Power Engitech), his younger brother Manish Mishra, and Abhishek Singh. Sanjay Mishra, a chartered accountant, helped the syndicate with audit work and laundering money. Abhishek Singh is the nephew of syndicate member Arvind Singh.

All four accused have been arrested and are in judicial custody. The EOW stated that it will file separate chargesheets against other individuals associated with the licensed companies. A separate investigation into the commissions is ongoing.