‘B-Part’ Liquor Bombshell: Jharkhand’s ₹3200 Cr Scam Exposes Top Officials, Political Nexus

 

Jharkhand’s ₹3200 Crore Liquor Scam Deepens: 22 Officers Suspended, Ex-Minister, Chhattisgarh Link Under Scanner

Ranchi: The lid has blown off one of Jharkhand’s biggest corruption scandals, as the state government suspended 22 senior Excise officials and named 7 retired officers in connection with a ₹3200 crore illegal liquor racket known as the ‘B-Part Liquor Scam’. The action follows a detailed 2300-page chargesheet filed by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) and Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), now accepted by the court.

But as arrests rise and more skeletons tumble out, investigators say the scam’s roots go deeper — into flawed policy decisions, political protection, and cross-state syndicate involvement.

How Policy Opened the Door to Corruption

The scam traces back to late 2021, when Jharkhand was preparing to roll out a new liquor policy for 2022–23. Amid whispers of influence from the Chhattisgarh liquor syndicate, the Excise Department controversially hired Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation Limited (CSML) as consultants.

What raised eyebrows was the Rs 1.25 crore consultancy fee paid to Arunpati Tripathi, a senior CSML official. The policy drafted under this consultancy was submitted to the Revenue Council, where then-member Amarendra Prasad Singh objected strongly. Singh questioned the move to bring in a firm that had failed to boost liquor revenues even in its home state, calling it a “recipe for corruption.”

His concerns were ignored—and what followed was a systematic siphoning of state revenue through a parallel liquor trade network operating across 15 districts of Jharkhand.

What is the ‘B-Part’ Liquor Scam?

From 2019 to 2023, government-run shops in Jharkhand allegedly sold massive quantities of untaxed, illegal country liquor, dubbed “B-part liquor”. Unlike officially recorded stock, these crates bypassed tax channels, enriching a vast nexus of distilleries, transporters, excise officers, private vendors, and possibly politicians.

Over 60 lakh crates of illegal liquor were sold through this channel, with the estimated value of the scam now pegged at over ₹3200 crore, up from an earlier ₹2174 crore.

Crackdown: 22 Officers Suspended, 7 Retired Officials Named

The government has suspended 22 Excise Department officers, including high-ranking names like:

• Janardan Kaurav
• Animesh Netam
• Vijay Sen Sharma
• Iqbal Khan
• Neetu Notani Thakur
• Sonal Netam
• Rajesh Jaiswal

Seven retired officers, including A.K. Singh, J.R. Mandavi, Devlal Vaish, and L.L. Dhruv, have been charged with criminal conspiracy and collusion.

Investigation So Far:

• 13 arrests made
• 70 individuals named
• 4 chargesheets filed
• Probe ongoing into foreign liquor layers, money laundering, and political patronage

Did a Former Minister Pocket ₹64 Crore?

The investigation has also pointed fingers at former Excise Minister Kawasi Lakhma, who allegedly received ₹64 crore as illegal income for protecting and facilitating the scam.

Additionally, Amit Prakash, a key player connected to the CSML consultancy setup, has been arrested—hinting that the probe is moving closer to the policy-makers and political masterminds.

Court Cracks the Whip

Despite EOW summons, 29 accused failed to appear in court, prompting the issuance of a final notice giving them time till August 20 to show up.

Political Earthquake Ahead?

With names of former ministers, retired officers, and inter-state actors now surfacing, the scam is turning into a multi-layered web of systemic loot, fuelled by flawed policies, bureaucratic complicity, and political shielding.

Investigators say the worst may be yet to come, as they now explore links to money laundering, shell companies, and cash-for-contracts deals tied to the liquor distribution network.