The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Indore Sub-Zonal Office, has filed a Prosecution Complaint (PC) in connection with the “Liquor Fake Challan Scam” before the Special Court (PMLA), Indore, under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
The complaint was filed on November 29, 2025, and the court took cognizance of the case on December 11, 2025. The agency initiated the probe based on an FIR registered at Raoji Police Station, Indore, which accused several liquor contractors of forging treasury challans and causing substantial loss to the state exchequer.
Modus operandi: forgery and manipulation of challans
According to the ED’s findings, the accused prepared fake or tampered treasury challans to underpay liquor duty while obtaining official clearances for liquor stock.
The accused contractors would initially fill in smaller amounts in challans and leave the “amount in words” section blank. After depositing the legitimate smaller sum in the bank, they manipulated the challan figures to reflect higher payments and filled in the increased value in words.
The manipulated challans were then submitted to district excise offices and country liquor warehouses, where they were accepted as genuine receipts of liquor duty or basic licence fees. This deception enabled the accused to procure more liquor stock while paying lower duties, defrauding the state of significant revenue.
₹49 crore proceeds of crime traced
The investigation revealed that Raju Dashwant, Ansh Trivedi, and several other liquor contractors were jointly involved in the fraudulent scheme. The ED established that the accused laundered proceeds of crime (PoC) exceeding ₹49 crore, generated from offences including forgery, cheating, and criminal conspiracy.
Both Raju Dashwant and Ansh Trivedi were earlier arrested by the ED in the case and are currently in judicial custody.
ED attaches properties worth ₹21.18 crore
During the course of the investigation, the ED issued a Provisional Attachment Order on November 28, 2025, attaching 28 immovable properties identified as proceeds of crime. These assets, with an acquisition value of ₹21.18 crore, are estimated to have a current market value exceeding ₹70 crore.
The attached properties include real estate holdings and other assets linked to the accused and their associated entities. The attachment has been made under Section 5 of the PMLA to prevent their disposal during the trial.
Court takes cognizance; further probe underway
The Special Court (PMLA), Indore, has taken cognizance of the prosecution complaint filed by the ED and will proceed with the trial against the accused. The court’s action marks a significant step in the multi-layered investigation into revenue losses caused by fraudulent excise transactions in Madhya Pradesh.
The ED has confirmed that further investigation is in progress to trace additional assets and identify other beneficiaries of the illicit funds generated through the fake challan scheme.
