Raipur (Economy India): In a major development in the Chhattisgarh liquor scam case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a 29,800-page final complaint, adding the name of then Deputy Commissioner and current in-charge Excise Commissioner Ashish Srivastava, who was not named earlier in the EOW charge sheet. With his name now officially included in the complaint, his suspension is considered imminent, officials confirmed.
According to sources, Excise Secretary-cum-Commissioner R. Sangeeta is currently on leave, and formal action is expected immediately after she returns on January 3.
31 Officials Face Freezing of Bank Accounts & Asset Seizure
The ED has identified 31 officials allegedly linked to the financial irregularities. Their movable and immovable assets worth ₹38.21 crore have been seized, along with the freezing of salary accounts. Accounts belonging to spouses of several officers were also frozen after suspicious transactions surfaced.
Earlier, the EOW had named 29 officials in its charge sheet, 22 of whom were suspended on July 7, 2025, while the remaining seven are now retired.
Recently, former Excise Commissioner Niranjan Das was taken into custody in connection with the case.
₹90 Crore Allegedly Distributed as Bribes
The ED investigation has indicated that nearly ₹90 crore was allegedly distributed among officials, with significant payments made to key individuals. As per the ED’s findings:
- Niranjan Das allegedly received ₹18 crore
- Iqbal Khan: ₹12 crore
- Nohar Singh Thakur: ₹11 crore
- Navin Pratap Singh Tomar: ₹6.7 crore
- Rajesh Jaiswal: ₹5.79 crore
- Animesh Netam: ₹5.28 crore
- Multiple others, including Daynkar Wasnik, Garibpal Singh, Saurabh Bakshi, Arvind Patle, and Mohit Jaiswal, reportedly received ₹2 crore or more each.
The report also states that Ashish Srivastava received ₹54 lakh, as per evidence traced by the agency.
Assets Attached by ED (Sample Extract)
| Officer Name | Immovable Assets (₹) | Movable Assets (₹) |
|---|---|---|
| Navin Pratap Singh | 2,44,92,906 | 36,19,924 |
| Gamhir Singh | 1,14,15,275 | 49,76,561 |
| Nohar Singh Thakur | 1,76,46,857 | 2,14,17,682 |
| Arvind Patle | 61,45,535 | 1,47,40,739 |
| Ashish Srivastava | 54,00,000 | 9,33,717 |
| Niranjan Das | 8,83,33,291 | — |
(Data as per ED’s final complaint)
Next Steps
With property attachments, account freezes, and custodial action already underway, the case is now moving into a final prosecution phase. Further departmental inquiries and suspensions are likely upon the return of the Excise Commissioner on January 3.
More updates are expected as the state government prepares for administrative action.
(Economy India)
