2026:CGHC:10603 AFR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR ORDER RESERVED ON 24.02.2026 ORDER DELIVERED ON 28.02.2026 ORDER UPLOADED ON 28.02.2026 MCRC No. 1653 of 2026

1 - Saumya Chaurasia D/o Lt. Shri O.N. Chaurasia Aged About 46 Years R/o A/21, Surya Residency Junwani Road Kohka Bhilai Durg Chhattisgarh, (Currently Under Judicial Custody At Central Jail Raipur (C.G.) )

... Applicant(s)

versus

1 - Directorate Of Enforcement, Raipur Zonal Office, Through Its Assistant Director Mr. Sunil Kumar Singh 2nd Floor, Subhash Stadium Moti, Bagh, Raipur, Chhattisgarh 492001.

... Respondent(s)

(Hon’ble Shri Justice Arvind Kumar Verma)

C A V Order

The present matter arises out of ECIR No. ECIR/RPZO/04/2024 dated 11.04.2024 registered by the Directorate of Enforcement, Raipur Zonal Office under Sections 3 and 4 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) on the basis of a predicate offence registered by EOW/ACB, Raipur.

BRIEF FACTS

2. The prosecution case pertains to an alleged large-scale liquor procurement and distribution scam in the State of Chhattisgarh during the period 2019 to 2023, resulting in alleged generation of proceeds of crime amounting to approximately Rs. 2883 crores, out of which about Rs. 2161 crores is alleged to be illegal earnings. The prosecution alleges existence of a criminal syndicate comprising senior bureaucrats, political functionaries, intermediaries and private persons, which manipulated the excise policy and liquor procurement system to generate illegal commissions and unaccounted income.

3. The predicate offence was registered by EOW/ACB Raipur vide FIR No. 04/2024 dated 17.01.2024 under Sections 420, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B IPC and Sections 7 and 12 Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The FIR alleges that certain public servants and private persons conspired to collect illegal commissions from distillers, Supply unaccounted liquor, Manipulate excise policy and Cause loss to State exchequer. The alleged loss to the Government is stated to be approximately Rs. 2161 Crores and the aforesaid offences under IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act constitute scheduled offences under the PMLA. Accordingly, Enforcement Directorate registered ECIR No. ECIR/RPZO/04/2024 dated 11.04.2024 and initiated investigation under PMLA. Investigation revealed alleged laundering of proceeds of crime generated through illegal liquor operations.

4. It is the allegation that the State Excise Policy was amended in the year 2017, and the Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation Limited (CSMCL) was established and the CSMCL was entrusted with exclusive responsibility of Retail sale of liquor, Procurement from manufacturers and supply through Government shops. The stated objectives of the policy included Supply of genuine liquor, Prevention of illegal liquor, Securing State revenue and price regulation. The Liquor sold in the State was divided into two categories:

• Country Liquor (CL)

• Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL)

Country liquor was supplied through three distilleries:

• Chhattisgarh Distilleries Ltd.

• Bhatia Wines & Merchants Pvt Ltd.

• Welcome Distilleries Pvt Ltd.

5. The prosecution alleges that a criminal syndicate led by influential persons subverted the excise policy and procurement mechanism. It is alleged that senior officials and intermediaries manipulated the liquor policy, Controlled procurement, Collected illegal commissions and distributed proceeds among conspirators. The prosecution has further alleged that the syndicate exercised control through Placement of favourable officers, Award of contracts to associates, policy manipulation and Creation of parallel systems. There was modus operandi of Alleged Offences:

PART-A Illegal Commission on Accounted Liquor- The Illegal commission was allegedly collected from distillers on supply of country liquor to CSMCL. Meetings were allegedly conducted with distillers in March 2019 where commission of Rs. 75 per case was fixed. It is alleged that the procurement prices were increased