RAIPUR: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday arrested a six-time Congress MLA Kawasi Lakhma, former excise minister, and his son Harish in Chhattisgarh’s alleged liquor scam. Both will soon be produced before the special court in Raipur later today.After conducting extensive searches at the multiple locations linked to Lakhma and his son on December 28, both were later summoned by the ED in Raipur for questioning.Lakhma and Harish on Wednesday appeared before the ED for the third time and were arrested by the central probe agency.This is the first arrest of a cabinet-rank minister of the former Bhupesh Baghel government.The central agency is investigating the alleged involvement of the Congress leader, who remains a prominent tribal face in Bastar, under the provision of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.Kawasi has maintained that he is illiterate and used to put his signature wherever he was asked as an excise minister.The state deputy chief minister Arun Sao contended how can anyone involved believe to get exonerated from the scam simply by claiming that he is illiterate.So far seven persons have been arrested in the liquor scam.The ED estimated that Proceeds of Crime of around Rs 2,161 crore have been generated by the suspects in the alleged liquor scam.
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