Chhattisgarh liquor ‘scam’: ED arrests Congress MLA and ex-minister Kawasi Lakhma

Raipur: The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday arrested Chhattisgarh Congress MLA and former excise minister Kawasi Lakhma in connection with alleged liquor scam, officials said.

The federal agency had on December 28 raided the premises of the ex-minister and his son Harish Lakhma in Raipur, Sukma and Dhamtari districts of the state as part of a money laundering investigation into the case.

The ED subsequently questioned Lakhma (71) and his son in the case.

Lakhma, who was called for questioning to the ED office here in the Pachpedi Naka area on Wednesday, has been arrested, official sources said.

The legislator will be produced in a court after his medical examination, they said.

The ED in a statement had earlier claimed that Lakhma was the main recipient of the proceeds of crime in cash when he was the excise minister during the Congress regime.

Lakhma, as per the ED, used to receive “substantial amounts in cash on a monthly basis out of the proceeds of crime generated from liquor scam”.

The alleged liquor scam in the state, as per the ED, was orchestrated between 2019-22 when Chhattisgarh was ruled by the Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress government. Lakhma, a six-time MLA from Konta (Sukma district), was the excise minister then.

“The Chhattisgarh liquor scam resulted in massive loss to the state exchequer and filled the pockets of the beneficiaries of the liquor syndicate with more than Rs 2,100 crore illegal proceeds of crime,” the agency had claimed earlier.