Raipur: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday arrested former minister Kawasi Lakhma, a six-time Congress MLA from Konta in Sukma district in Chhattisgarh, in the alleged excise scam.
The ED arrested him after interrogating him in connection with the alleged scandal.
He was produced before a local court which remanded him to the ED custody till January 21.
The alleged excise scam that took place during the previous Bhupesh Baghel government involved the illicit channelization of alcohol to the government liquor shops by a syndicate for commission.
The ED has estimated the scam at Rs 2,162 crore.
After his arrest, Mr Lakhma said that he was falsely implicated in the case.
“No money has been recovered from me in the raids by the ED in my premises. I have been cooperating with them (ED) in the investigation, but still they have arrested a poor man like me. I will continue to voice the issues of the people of Bastar”, he said while being taken to the local court.
After the ED raids in his houses on December 28, the lawmaker said “I am not aware of any excise scam and I got to know about it from the newspapers and the TV news. I am an illiterate person and I signed the papers (files) when I was asked (by the officers).”
The ED had raided the premises of the tribal Congress leader and his son Harish Lakhma and some government officers in Raipur and Sukma in connection with the alleged scam.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) had registered an FIR in the alleged excise scam in January this year based on the complaint filed by the ED.
Seventy people including the former minister, IAS officer Anil Tuteja and ITS officer Arunpati Tripathy have been named in the FIR.
