The Chhattisgarh High Court has granted bail to Saumya Chaurasia, a former deputy secretary in the CMO, in two cases related to the alleged liquor scam that occurred during the previous Congress government.
The Chhattisgarh High Court has granted bail to Saumya Chaurasia, a former deputy secretary in the CMO, in two cases related to the alleged liquor scam being investigated by the ED and EOW.
The Enforcement Directorate has attached assets worth over 441 crore in connection with the Andhra Pradesh liquor scam, which allegedly occurred during the previous YSRCP government's tenure.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau/Economic Offence Wing (ACB/EOW) has claimed in its chargesheet that Chaitanya, son of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, received Rs 200 crore to Rs 250 crore as his share from an alleged liquor scam in the state.
The Chhattisgarh High Court granted bail to Chaitanya Baghel, son of former chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, in two cases related to the alleged liquor scam. The bail was granted in cases lodged by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Chhattisgarh Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB)/Economic Offences Wing (EOW).
A Delhi court discharged Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia in an excise policy-related corruption case, citing lacunae in the CBI chargesheet.
A chargesheet filed by Andhra Pradesh police alleges former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy chaired a meeting related to a new liquor policy under which outlets would be run by a government entity. The chargesheet details alleged kickbacks and money laundering.
The sources said that Chaitnaya Baghel was arrested under section 19 of the anti-money laundering as he was allegedly not cooperating during the searches that came about following receipt of fresh evidence in the case.
A chargesheet filed by Andhra Pradesh police in connection with the Rs 3,500 crore alleged liquor scam mentions former chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy as one of the recipients of kickbacks. The chargesheet alleges a complex scheme involving shell companies, policy manipulation, and extortion to generate funds that were ultimately routed to Jagan Mohan Reddy.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has alleged that Chaitanya Baghel, son of former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, handled over Rs 1,000 crore worth of proceeds from a liquor scam and used Rs 16.7 crore for his real estate project.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal during his campaign rallies in Delhi, accusing him of being involved in the "liquor scam" and of being "afraid" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Gandhi also criticized Kejriwal's governance style, calling it "sheesh mahal politics" and accusing him of being absent when violence and hatred engulfed Delhi during the 2020 riots. He also attacked the BJP, accusing them of trying to change the Constitution and insulting the country's founding fathers.
The attached properties include 14 assets of Tuteja worth Rs 15.82 crore, 115 properties of Anwar Dhebar, the elder brother of Raipur Mayor and Congress leader Aijaz Dhebar, worth Rs 116.16 crore, properties of Vikash Agarwal alias Subbu worth Rs 1.54 crore and 33 properties of Arvind Singh worth Rs 12.99 crore, it said in a statement.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) faced criticism from the Supreme Court for filing a "half-baked" reply in a bail matter related to the Chhattisgarh liquor scam. The court expressed dissatisfaction with the situation, questioning the accountability of the ED and its advocate-on-record. The ED's additional solicitor general, S.V. Raju, attributed the error to a miscommunication and assured the court that a departmental inquiry would be initiated.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday cited Delhi's alleged 'liquor scam' to accuse Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao of being under 'remote control' of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Chaitanya Baghel, son of Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel, was released from jail after being granted bail in cases related to the alleged liquor scam in Chhattisgarh. The release was met with celebration by Congress supporters.
Arvind Kejriwal was discharged in the liquor policy case and claims it was a political conspiracy to destroy AAP.
The IAS officer was later taken into custody under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and is expected to be produced before a magistrate seeking his remand, the sources said.
In his absence, the party stares at uncertainty as many of its other senior leaders are either in jail or in political obscurity.
The Enforcement Directorate on Friday arrested the special secretary of the Chhattisgarh excise department in a money laundering case linked to the alleged Rs 2,000 crore liquor syndicate scam in the state.
K Kavitha dared PM Modi to put her and other leaders behind the bars.
Don't create an "atmosphere of fear", the Supreme Court Tuesday told the Enforcement Directorate (ED) after the Chhattisgarh government alleged the probe agency is "running amok" and is trying to implicate Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel in a money laundering case linked to the alleged Rs 2,000 crore liquor scam in the state.
The Supreme Court declined to examine a plea challenging a PMLA provision, stating the issue lies in the law's abuse, not the law itself. The court allowed the petitioner to approach the High Court if procedures weren't followed.
A CAG report has found that the 2021-22 Delhi excise policy created risks of monopolies and brand pushing by an "exclusive arrangement" between a few wholesalers and manufacturers. The report highlights that three wholesalers controlled over 71% of the total liquor supply chain in the city, with just 25 brands accounting for nearly 70% of total liquor sales. The report also criticized the formation of retail zones with a minimum of 27 wards in each zone, which limited the number of total licensees and increased the risk of monopolization and cartel formation.
The ED said its investigation also revealed that from 2019 to 2022, the sale of 'unaccounted illicit' liquor was almost 30-40 per cent of the total liquor sale in the state.
The Enforcement Directorate on Monday raided the premises of former Chhattisgarh chief minister and senior Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel as part of a money laundering investigation against his son in the alleged liquor scam case and seized about Rs 30 lakh apart from some documents, official sources said.
The crusade against the liquor cartel may well be masking another dynamic that many say is the real reason behind the spike in liquor prices -- namely, exorbitant liquor licence fees paid to the government by retailers.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided the premises of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel in Bhilai town as part of a money laundering investigation against his son, Chaitanya Baghel, in the alleged liquor scam case. Baghel alleged that the raids were aimed at discouraging him after he was made Congress's in-charge for Punjab and that the BJP is frustrated because he was discharged of all charges by the special CBI court in Raipur in connection with an alleged 7-year-old (sex) CD case.
The report on the alleged liquor scam, a hot button issue in the run-up to the elections, claimed a loss of revenue to the tune of Rs 941.53 crore, saying timely permissions were not taken for opening the liquor vends in non-conforming municipal wards.
The Andhra Pradesh Anti-Corruption Bureau has arrested nine more excise officials in Khammam district on charges of "subverting" the tender process for allotment of liquor shops for pecuniary benefits, the ACB officials said on Friday.
Here is a snapshot of what worked for the BJP and what worked against the AAP in the Delhi assembly elections.
The Supreme Court of India has repeatedly criticized the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for exceeding its authority and misusing its powers. The latest rebuke came on Thursday, when the court accused the agency of 'crossing all limits' in a money laundering probe against a Tamil Nadu state-run liquor retailer. This follows a string of similar observations by the Supreme Court and high courts across India, raising concerns about the ED's investigative practices and the potential for misuse of its powers.
The Andhra Pradesh Anti-Corruption Bureau on Sunday arrested seven police officials on charges of receiving illegal gratifications in lieu of official favour to liquor mafia, a senior agency official said.
Party sources said the former MP from Nizamabad requested the BRS cadre and Kavitha's supporters to not gather at her residence.
Stepping up its investigation into liquor syndicates in Andhra Pradesh, the Anti-Corruption Bureau has issued notices to three sitting members of Legislative Assembly, one of them from ruling Congress, and others asking them to appear before the ant-graft agency.
The law officer said the money trail showed that Rs 45 crore "kickback" used in the Goa assembly elections came from four hawala routes.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said that the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Bharatiya Janata Party and all the alliance parties will contest the upcoming Vidhan Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu together under the National Democratic Alliance. The significant political development comes ahead of the TN Assembly election to be held in 2026,
Liquor businessman Magunta Sreenivasalu Reddy (a TDP MP) met Kejriwal on March 16, 2021 in his office at the Delhi Secretariat and requested him to provide support in his liquor business in the national capital by tweaking the Excise Policy 2021-22 which was then in the making, the agency said in its chargesheet against K Kavitha.
Special Judge Kaveri Baweja at the Rouse Avenue court said Kejriwal will be produced before the court on March 28 at 2 pm.
Many were so disillusioned with AAP that they left it in droves. A 10% drop in AAP's vote share is a pointer to that. To assume that if AAP had teamed up with the Congress, the Congress' 6.3% vote share would have helped AAP retain control of Delhi is erroneous, argues Sudhir Bisht.
Pawar said in the last 10 years, people have voted Kejriwal to power, adding that Aam Aadmi Party ministers have been jailed and steps were being taken to arrest him as well.