New Delhi [India] : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday launched search and seizure operations at 11 locations linked to various liquor contractors across Madhya Pradesh, as part of an ongoing money laundering investigation. The contractors are accused of causing a revenue loss of approximately Rs 49.42 crore to the government.
The raids are being conducted across Bhopal, Indore, and Mandsaur, based on an investigation initiated following the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against several liquor contractors.
According to the ED, the losses — totalling approximately Rs 49,42,45,615 — were allegedly incurred between the financial years 2015-16 and 2017-18 through the manipulation of treasury challans and the illegal acquisition of No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) for liquor procurement.
Sources privy to the investigation revealed that the accused contractors prepared treasury challans with small amounts, depositing them in banks while leaving a blank space next to “Rs in words” on the forms. After depositing the original amount, they allegedly later altered the challans by writing larger amounts in the blank space, presenting these falsified challans at country liquor warehouses or district excise offices for foreign liquor.
The ED’s ongoing raids aim to gather further evidence related to the financial irregularities and hold the perpetrators accountable for their alleged economic offences.