ED Attaches ₹6.15 Cr of Congress, Ex-Minister in Chhattisgarh Liquor Scam
In a decisive escalation of the ₹2,100 crore Chhattisgarh liquor racket investigation, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached assets totaling ₹6.15 crore under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. This unprecedented move includes the Congress Bhawan in Sukma and residences belonging to former excise minister Kawasi Lakhma and his son Harish.
Among the seized properties are a Congress party office in Sukma, constructed during Lakhma’s tenure, a residential house in Raipur under his name, and another in Sukma belonging to his son. The ED asserts these assets were procured using illicit proceeds from the liquor syndicate that thrived from 2019 to 2022 under the previous Congress government.
Kawasi Lakhma, a six-time MLA from Konta and former minister overseeing the excise department, has been in judicial custody since his arrest in January 2025. The ED alleges he facilitated the scam by manipulating policy, notably through the introduction of FL-10A licences for foreign liquor, enabling rampant profiteering. It claims Lakhma received about ₹2 crore monthly, amounting to ₹72 crore over three years, and channelled funds into property.
This marks the first instance of a political party’s property being attached in a money-laundering probe, signaling a major shift in enforcement strategy. The ED’s December raids across Raipur, Sukma, and Dhamtari unearthed documents and transaction records linking the accused to the illegal funds.
The Congress party has vocally condemned the attachment as a politically motivated ploy by the BJP-led central government, promising to furnish detailed accounts of funds used for the Sukma office. In contrast, state BJP representatives have welcomed the action, describing it as a singular move in exposing systemic corruption under the prior regime.
As the investigation continues, attention turns to deeper policy-level reforms in the state’s liquor licensing system. The ED’s aggressive asset recovery is likely to proceed, with further properties and financial instruments potentially being targeted in ongoing money-laundering
