Probe Company Arrests Ex Chhattisgarh Minister Kawasi Lakhma In Liquor Rip-off
Raipur:
The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday arrested Chhattisgarh Congress MLA and former excise minister Kawasi Lakhma in reference to an alleged liquor rip-off, officers mentioned.
Slamming the transfer, Kawasi Lakhma mentioned he’s being implicated in a false case.
The federal company 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 a part of a cash laundering investigation into the case.
The ED subsequently questioned Mr Lakhma (71) and his son within the case.
Mr Lakhma, who was known as for questioning to the ED workplace right here within the Pachpedi Naka space on Wednesday, has been arrested, official sources mentioned.
The legislator was produced in a courtroom right here after his medical examination.
Speaking to reporters earlier than coming into the courtroom, Mr Lakhma mentioned, “Neither any doc nor a single penny was discovered in the course of the raids (at his premises by ED). I’m being despatched to jail in a false case.” The tribal chief alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Dwelling Minister Amit Shah and Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai have been attempting to suppress the voice of “a poor tribal” and the tribal-dominated Bastar area.
“As panchayat polls are going to happen within the state, they wish to maintain me away from the elections. Due to this fact, they’ve taken motion in opposition to me,” he claimed.
Senior Congress MLA and former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel accused the ED of performing on the directives of the BJP-led Centre.
“The arrest of former minister and senior MLA Kawasi Lakhma ji is an motion taken with the intention of political vendetta. On the directions of its masters sitting within the central authorities, the ED has been conspiring to defame Congress leaders. The whole Congress social gathering stands with Kawasi Lakhma ji,” Mr Baghel mentioned in a publish on X.
The ED in an announcement had earlier claimed that Mr Lakhma was the primary recipient of the proceeds of crime in money when he was the excise minister in the course of the Congress regime.
Mr Lakhma, as per the ED, used to obtain “substantial quantities in money on a month-to-month foundation out of the proceeds of crime generated from liquor rip-off”.
The alleged liquor rip-off within the state, as per the ED, was orchestrated between 2019-22 when Chhattisgarh was dominated by the Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress authorities. Mr Lakhma, a six-time MLA from Konta (Sukma district), was the excise minister then.
“The Chhattisgarh liquor rip-off resulted in huge loss to the state exchequer and stuffed the pockets of the beneficiaries of the liquor syndicate with greater than Rs 2,100 crore unlawful proceeds of crime,” the company had claimed earlier.
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