RAIPUR: In one of the largest disciplinary actions in Chhattisgarh’s history, the state government has suspended 22 officials from the Commercial Tax and Excise Department. This sweeping move follows the submission of a charge sheet in the infamous ₹2,174 crore liquor scam, marking a significant step in the fight against corruption.
Major Action After EOW Charge Sheet
On July 7, the Excise Department issued a suspension order against the officers, shortly after the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) filed a massive 2,300-page charge sheet in a special court. The court accepted the charge sheet, intensifying the legal process against those involved.
Scam Unveils Large-Scale Corruption
According to sources, these officers allegedly facilitated massive financial irregularities in the liquor trade through fake billing, benami transactions, and hefty commissions. The scam is said to have caused losses worth thousands of crores to the state exchequer.
List of Suspended Officials
- Janardan Kaurav, Assistant District Excise Officer
- Animesh Netam, Deputy Commissioner, Excise
- Vijay Sen Sharma, Deputy Commissioner, Excise
- Arvind Kumar Patle, Deputy Commissioner, Excise
- Pramod Kumar Netam, Assistant Commissioner, Excise
- Ramkrishna Mishra, Assistant Commissioner, Excise
- Vikas Kumar Goswami, Assistant Commissioner, Excise
- Iqbal Khan, Assistant District Excise Officer
- Nitin Khanduja, Assistant District Excise Officer
- Naveen Pratap Singh Tomar, Assistant Commissioner, Excise
- Manjushri Kaser, Assistant Excise Officer
- Saurabh Bakshi, Assistant Commissioner, Excise
- Dinkar Wasnik, Assistant Commissioner, Excise
- Mohan Kumar Jaiswal, District Excise Officer
- Neetu Notani Thakur, Deputy Commissioner, Excise
- Gareebpal Singh Dardi, District Excise Officer
- Nohar Singh Thakur, Deputy Commissioner, Excise
- Sonal Netam, Assistant Commissioner, Excise
- Prakash Pal, Assistant Commissioner, Excise
- Alekh Ram Sidar, Assistant Commissioner, Excise
- Ashish Kosam, Assistant Commissioner, Excise
- Rajesh Jaiswal, Assistant Commissioner, Excise
State’s Strongest Anti-Corruption Stand
This is the biggest suspension exercise since Chhattisgarh’s formation in 2000. The state government’s strong action reflects its resolve to cleanse the system and bring accountability in one of the most sensitive revenue-generating departments.
The story is still unfolding, and further investigations are likely to expose more layers of the alleged nexus in the liquor trade.
