Coded Diary, Broken Names: Lokayukta Probes Madhya Pradesh Liquor ‘Scam’

The Madhya Pradesh Lokayukta has launched an investigation into an alleged massive liquor scam based on a confidential report from the Income Tax Department. The report, which surfaced after a 2016 raid on a liquor businessman’s premises, allegedly implicates several high-ranking officials from the state’s Excise Department.

Among the key figures in the investigation are individuals mentioned in a coded diary seized during the raids. These people are mentioned under incomplete names such as ‘Sharma Ji’, ‘Bangde Sahab’, and ‘Pandey Babu’. The Lokayukta has asked the Excise Department for detailed information in a bid to uncover their identities and roles in the alleged financial irregularities.

The Lokayukta has asked the Excise Department to clarify the roles of these individuals and to provide details on their positions and postings. The department has also been asked to disclose information about an assistant commissioner currently stationed in Bhopal, whose alleged involvement in the scam is under scrutiny.

The investigation stems from a raid conducted by the Income Tax Department on January 7, 2016. The raid targeted a prominent liquor businessman with operations in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, and Rajasthan. The operation uncovered over Rs 1,000 crores of undeclared income, along with substantial amounts of cash, jewellery, real estate, and investments in various enterprises, including colleges and cold-storage facilities.

A pivotal piece of evidence in the investigation is a coded diary discovered during the raid. This diary details suspicious financial transactions and has allegedly implicated several Excise Department officers.

Inspector Kavindra Singh Chauhan of the Special Police Establishment (Lokayukta) has issued a notice, a copy of which is with NDTV, to the Excise Department seeking details about postings. Information has also been requested about officers stationed in Gwalior, Shivpuri, and other locations during the period under investigation.