RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, Aug. 26: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has started questioning liquor baron Jogendra Tiwari three days after the probe agency conducted raids at Tiwari and his associate’s 32 locations across the state in laundering of money earned by illegal business of liquor.
The questioning started after Tiwari reached the ED’s regional office at Hinoo with his face covered with a mask and three bags full of papers in his hand.
The case arose after Chhattisgarh Liquor Consultant, Suppliers and the Excise Department of Jharkhand have caused a loss of excise revenue of more than Rs 450 crore to the state government.
It is being alleged that Arun Pati Tripathi, the mastermind of the Chhattisgarh liquor scam, is the advisor of the new liquor policy in Jharkhand. It is being alleged that he became an advisor in Jharkhand without the consent of the central government and the state of Chhattisgarh.
According to the rules, to become a consultant in Jharkhand, he was required to take permission from his parent department and the Chhattisgarh government. There are many serious allegations against him in Chhattisgarh, including the allegation of creating a fake company and printing holograms in Chhattisgarh.
Jogendra Tiwari, a resident of Jamtara, is considered a kingpin of the liquor scam. In 2021-22 he was given responsibility of wholesale business of liquor in 19 districts. After he was given the responsibility, sale of liquor started under the new liquor policy. FIRs were registered at different police stations against Tiwari. The IT department also conducted raids on its location.
