Raipur. Former Excise Minister Kawasi Lakhma was produced in a special court on Tuesday after the expiry of ED remand period in the liquor scam case. Lakhma has been sent to jail on judicial remand till February 4.
ED alleges that former minister and current MLA Kawasi Lakhma was an important part of the syndicate. The syndicate used to work on the instructions of Lakhma. The liquor syndicate used to get help from them. He played an important role in changing the liquor policy, which led to the introduction of FL-10 license in Chhattisgarh. ED claims that Lakhma was aware of the irregularities happening in the Excise Department, but he did nothing to stop it. ED lawyer Saurabh Pandey said that the liquor scam went on for 3 years. Lakhma used to get Rs 2 crore every month. During this period, Lakhma got Rs 72 crore in 36 months. This amount was spent on the construction of his son Harish Kawasi’s house and the construction of Congress Bhawan Sukma.
The ED said that the liquor scam in Chhattisgarh has caused a huge loss to the government exchequer. More than Rs 2,100 crore of illegal money was filled in the pockets of the liquor syndicate people.
