Former excise commissioner Niranjan Das arrested in Chhattisgarh liquor case
Niranjan Das, who served as Chhattisgarh excise commissioner , was arrested in connection with accusations that he received undue benefits
The Chhattisgarh Anti-Corruption Bureau on Thursday arrested the state’s former excise commissioner Niranjan Das in connection with the alleged liquor scam.
Das, who served as commissioner of the state excise department, was taken into custody in connection with accusations that he received undue benefits running into several crores of rupees through the sale of unaccounted liquor in government-run shops, manipulation of tenders, transfer of officers, and support for a flawed liquor policy.
Das, a Chhattisgarh cadre officer who was later promoted to the Indian Administrative Service, is the second retired IAS officer to be arrested in the case. He will be produced before a Chhattisgarh court on Friday.
The alleged liquor scam in the state, according to officials, involved the illegal sale of approximately unaccounted and duty-evaded liquor worth ₹2,174 crore through state-run liquor outlets, under the protection and coordination of senior excise officials. The Enforcement Directorate, which is investigating allegations of money laundering in connection with the case, has claimed that alleged irregularities resulted in a massive loss to the state exchequer and filled the pockets of the beneficiaries of a liquor syndicate with over ₹2,100 crore.
According to ED, the alleged irregularities were orchestrated between 2019 and 2022 when the Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress government was in power in Chhattisgarh.
Chaitanya Baghel, the former chief minister’s son, was arrested from his Bhilai residence by ED on July 18 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection with the case.
