The Enforcement Directorate (ED), Raipur Zonal Office on Tuesday said that they have attached movable and immovable assets totalling Rs 38.21 crore belonging to Niranjan Das, IAS (then Excise Commissioner) and 30 other excise officials.

"This action, taken under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, is part of the ongoing investigation into the massive Chhattisgarh liquor scam, which resulted in a loss of over Rs. 2,800 Crore (revised calculation based on further revelations) to the state exchequer," said a senior ED official.

The attached assets worth Rs. 38.21 Crore include: Immovable Properties (Rs 21,64,65,015): 78 properties including luxury bungalows, flats in premium complexes, commercial shop spaces, and extensive agricultural lands, movable properties (Rs 16,56,54,717), 197 items including high-value Fixed Deposits (FDs), balances in multiple bank accounts, life insurance policies, and a diverse portfolio of equity shares and mutual funds.

Investigation conducted by ED has revealed that a criminal syndicate, involving senior bureaucrats and political figures, completely hijacked the Chhattisgarh Excise Department. Niranjan Das (then excise commissioner) and Arun Pati Tripathi (then MD, CSMCL) spearheaded a parallel excise system that bypassed state controls to generate massive illegal earnings.

The syndicate operated a "Part-B" scheme involving the manufacture and sale of unaccounted, off-the-record country liquor through government-run shops. This illicit liquor was produced and sold using duplicate holograms and unaccounted bottles. “Illicit liquor” was transported directly from distilleries to shops, bypassing state warehouses. This fraud was committed with the active collusion and conspiracy of the said excise officials.

The investigation established that excise officials were paid a fixed commission of Rs 140 per case for allowing the sale of Part-B liquor in their jurisdictions. Niranjan Das alone is identified to have acquired more than Rs 18 crore Proceeds of Crime (POC), receiving a monthly bribe of Rs 50 lakh for facilitating the scam.

In total, the 31 excise officials were found to have derived POC of Rs 89.56 crore.

The ED initiated its investigation based on an FIR registered by the ACB/EOW, Raipur, involving various sections of the IPC, 1860 and the Prevention of Corruption Act. Police investigation has revealed that Chhattisgarh liquor scam resulted in a massive loss to the state exchequer and corresponding gain to accused persons. The current attachment highlights the deep-rooted complicity of the very officials tasked with protecting state revenue.