The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday raided several locations in the State and Chhattisgarh including the premises of Rohit Oraon, son of Jharkhand Minister Rameshwar Oraon, in connection with a liquor scam.
There raids were conducted at more than thirty places including Ranchi, Dumka, Deoghar and Godda, among other districts, in the scam traced back to one Yogendra Tiwari and Prem Prakash. The latter is in judicial custody for alleged involvement in mining and land scams.
Sources said that Oraon’s son Rohit is alleged to have invested money in some businesses, which were part of the raids Wednesday. Rohit stays with his father. Sources in the government said it was not clear whether the ED raids were linked to the old liquor policy or the new one.
The raids were conducted on the premises of liquor baron Jogendra Tiwari, his brother Amarendra Tiwari and apart from Rohit Oraon.
Jogendra Tiwari, who was earlier close to senior BJP leaders, is said to be now breaking bread with several ruling party leaders.
Incidentally, several of the persons, whose premises are being raided are also linked to the BJP. For example, Amarnath Tekriwal happens to be brother of late BJP MLA of Godda Manohar Tekriwal.
Yogendra Tiwari is primarily in the liquor business having business interest in hotel, sand and other industries also.
Rohit Oraon, son of Finance Minister Rameshwar Oraon, is said to have a big investment in the liquor business of the state. If ED sources are to be believed, he has invested a huge amount in this business through Yogendra Tiwari.
ED has started probing the scam after preliminary investigation into the role of Yogendra Tiwari and Prem Prakash and others in the liquor scam. Earlier, in the raid of the Income Tax Department on March 21, it was revealed that liquor baron Yogendra Tiwari had acquired undisclosed assets of more than 15 crores.
The ED is investigating the case based on complaints of the retailer’s association and the PIL that the liquor trade has been monopolized by a powerful cartel that is also pumping and circulating unaccounted money in the liquor trade.
Notably, in July 2020, the state police had also raided several premises of Yogendra Tiwari for his alleged involvement in the illegal trade of liquor and sand.
Apart from Jharkhand, the ED also conducted raids at Chhattisgarh in connection with its money laundering probe related to the liquor scam. Among those being searched include Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel’s political advisor Vinod Verma, officials said.
According to the ED allegations, Rs 776 crores commission out of the total Rs 2,161 crores collected in the Chhattisgarh liquor scam by Anwar Dhebar, prime accused and brother of Raipur mayor Aijaz Dhebar, went to “political executives”.
