Indore Fake Liquor Challan Scam: 2 Accused Arrested In Rs 49 Crore Case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested two individuals - Ansh Trivedi and Raju Dashwant - in connection with a Rs 49 crore fake liquor challan scam. The arrests were made as part of the agency's ongoing money laundering investigation linked to the multi-crore excise fraud.

According to officials, the ED initiated its probe based on an FIR registered at Raoji Police Station in Indore, where several liquor contractors were accused of causing a loss of Rs 49.42 crore to the state exchequer. The contractors allegedly manipulated government treasury challans, leaving the section for the amount in words blank at the time of submission. Later, they altered the figures to create forged challans showing inflated payments.

These fake challans were then presented as genuine government documents, serving as false proof of payment for excise duty, license fees, and minimum guarantee amounts. Using these fabricated records, the accused managed to secure illegal No Objection Certificates (NOCs) and liquor licenses.

During the probe, the ED identified Trivedi and Dashwant as the masterminds behind the entire operation. They are accused of orchestrating the forgery of challans and manipulating official records to execute the scam.

Both accused were produced before a special court, which sent them to ED custody till Wednesday.

Officials said the agency is now investigating the money trail to uncover how the laundered funds were routed and to identify other contractors and government officials potentially involved in the racket.

With alleged irregularities spanning from treasury challans to excise licenses, the scam is believed to have caused massive financial losses to the state government. The ED's investigation remains ongoing, and more arrests and revelations are expected in the coming days.