Raipur: The enforcement directorate (ED) on Saturday conducted searches at the premises of Congress MLA and former minister Kawasi Laxma and his son at seven places in Chhattisgarh in connection with the alleged liquor scam surfaced during the previous Bhupesh Baghel government, official sources said.
The ED teams raided the Congress legislator’s residence in Raipur and his son’s house in Sukma district under south Bastar in Chhattisgarh simultaneously, a senior police officer said, unwilling to be quoted.
The ED searches continued till the last reports came.
The ED also conducted raids at the premises of some other people in connection with the alleged excise scam, the police officer said.
Tribal Congress leader Laxma is a seven-time MLA from Konta in Sukma district and held the excise portfolio in the previous Bhupesh Baghel ministry, while his son Harish is panchayat president in Sukma district.
The searches were conducted in the MLA’s house following inputs given by the key accused in the Rs 2,100 crore liquor scam that had broken out during the previous Bhupesh Baghel government, ED sources said.
Sources said that the key accused in the alleged liquor scam reportedly disclosed to the agency that Laxma was allegedly paid Rs two crore per month in 2019-22 when the latter was excise minister in the state.
The scam was allegedly worth Rs 2,100 crores and the proceeds of the crime were shared among the politicians, officials and middlemen, ED sources said.
Congress however has alleged that the ED searches were conducted at premises of the Congress MLA at the behest of the BJP.
“It was a conspiracy by the BJP to harass Opposition leaders ahead of the civic body polls in the state”, Congress spokesman Sushil Anand Shukla said.
