Liquor Scam Case: Former Excise Minister Kawasi Lakhma to Remain in Jail Until March 4

Seeks Permission to Attend Assembly Session; Court to Decide on February 20

Raipur: Former Excise Minister Kawasi Lakhma will remain in judicial custody at Raipur Central Jail until March 4, as the court has extended his custody for 14 more days. On Tuesday, he appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED)’s special court in Raipur.

During the hearing, Lakhma requested permission to attend the assembly session, stating that he needed to raise several issues concerning the people of Chhattisgarh. His lawyer, Faisal Rizvi, submitted an application in court for this request.

However, ED’s lawyer, Saurabh Pandey, opposed the application, arguing that unless there is an official letter from the Governor of Chhattisgarh allowing Lakhma to participate in the assembly, he should not be permitted to attend. After hearing arguments from both sides, the court reserved its decision, which will be announced on February 20.

Arrest and Legal Proceedings

The ED arrested Lakhma on January 15 in connection with the Chhattisgarh liquor scam. He had been summoned twice for questioning before his arrest. Following this, he was remanded to ED custody for seven days for interrogation.

Later, the court sent him to 14-day judicial custody from January 21 to February 4. In a subsequent hearing, due to a lack of sufficient security personnel in the jail, Lakhma was presented via video conference, and his custody was extended until February 18. Now, his remand has been extended further until March 4.

ED’s Allegations Against Lakhma

According to the ED, Lakhma was a key player in the liquor syndicate, which operated under his influence. The agency claims that:

• He helped modify the liquor policy, leading to the introduction of FL-10 licenses in Chhattisgarh.
• He was aware of the irregularities in the excise department but did not take action.
• He allegedly received ₹2 crore per month from the scam, totaling ₹72 crore over 36 months.
• This money was reportedly used for building his son Harish Kawasi’s house and the construction of Congress Bhawan in Sukma.

The ED has estimated that the liquor scam caused a loss of over ₹2,100 crore to the government exchequer, benefiting the liquor syndicate’s members.