22 Excise Officials Suspended in ₹3,200-Crore Liquor Scam in Chhattisgarh

The Chhattisgarh excise department has suspended 22 of 29 officials chargesheeted by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) in connection with a ₹3,200-crore liquor scam; the remaining seven officials have retired. The scam involved a syndicate of bureaucrats, politicians, and excise officials running a parallel liquor distribution system, bypassing government revenue. Liquor was illegally produced, transported, and sold without depositing money to the state. The EOW reported unaccounted sales between 2019 and 2023 in 15 major districts. The ED, which is probing money laundering aspects, has arrested key figures including former minister Kawasi Lakhma and alleged mastermind Anwar Dhebar.