6 excise officials suspended in Rs 41 cr liquor 'scam' in MP

The Madhya Pradesh government has suspended six Excise department officials after an alleged scam worth Rs 41.40 crore related to the liquor contracts here, came to light recently, an officer said today.

The state exchequer incurred a loss of Rs 41.40 crore as some liquor contractors forged the challans, through which the contract amount was deposited in the banks, a senior excise department officer said.

Assistant commissioner of the excise department, Sanjeev Dubey, a sub-inspector, two in-charge officers of warehouses and two clerks have been suspended for the dereliction of duty, the official said.

The excise officials failed to check and verify whether the amount mentioned in the challans by the liquor contractors was being deposited by them in the banks, the officer said.
 

Meanwhile, police have intensified a search for 10 absconding liquor contractors and their six associates in connection with the case.

Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Sampat Upadhyay said criminal cases have been registered against the 10 liquor contractors and their six associates in connection with the alleged fraud.

Rs 10,000 reward has been announced on the head of each of the absconding accused. A lookout circular has also been issued against the accused to prevent them from fleeing out of the country, he said.

"As per the process, the liquor contractors need to deposit the contract amount to the government exchequer within the given period to purchase the liquor quota from the excise department. This amount is deposited through the bank challans," he said.

The police found that in the last two years, the accused contractors deposited amounts lesser than what they were supposed to pay. They forged the challans and informed the department that they have deposited the contract amount.

This forgery of challans had resulted into the loss of Rs 41.40 crore to the exchequer, the ASP said.

Police are investigating the case, the police officer said.