ED seizes ₹38 crore in Chhattisgarh’s massive liquor store scam crackdown
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has seized assets worth Rs 38.21 crore in connection with the Chhattisgarh liquor store scam. The investigation uncovered a criminal network that allegedly defrauded the state of over Rs 2,800 crore. Officials described the operation as a parallel excise system run by senior bureaucrats and political figures.
The ED’s probe revealed that a group led by Arun Pati Tripathi, then Managing Director of the Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation Limited (CSMCL), and Niranjan Das created an illegal excise framework. This system bypassed official state controls and generated vast sums from liquor store sales. The agency stated that the syndicate had 'completely hijacked' the Chhattisgarh Excise Department.
Among the seized assets are high-value fixed deposits, bank balances, life insurance policies, and equity shares totalling Rs 16.56 crore. Additionally, immovable properties—including luxury bungalows, flats, commercial spaces, and agricultural land—worth Rs 21.64 crore were attached. The ED’s action targets Niranjan Das and 30 other excise officials implicated in the scam. No formal charges or named suspects have been publicly disclosed by the investigative authority at this stage. The case remains under active investigation as officials continue to trace the flow of illicit funds.
The attached assets form part of the ED’s efforts to recover losses from the alleged liquor store scam. The seized properties and funds highlight the scale of illegal earnings tied to the liquor store trade. Further legal proceedings are expected as the investigation progresses.
