Raipur, May 20: The investigators in Chhattisgarh have ramped up efforts to uncover the details of a massive liquor scam, estimated to be worth Rs 2,000 crore.

The Economic Offence Wing (EOW) and the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) have launched a series of coordinated raids across multiple districts, including Durg-Bhilai and Mahasamund.

Reports suggest that enforcement teams are actively conducting operations at 22 locations in Durg-Bhilai, after arriving in Bhilai on Tuesday morning in four vehicles.

Additional searches are underway in Sankara and Basna within the Mahasamund district, focusing on individuals closely associated with former Excise Minister Kawasi Lakhma, sources said.

The authorities have expanded their scrutiny to business establishments, with EOW teams inspecting the residences of individuals suspected of involvement in the scam.

The investigation has widened to the Mahasamund district, where the enforcement teams had raided the premises of a businessman and an LIC agent believed to be linked to the illicit liquor trade.

The ACB and EOW teams have executed searches at more than 20 locations across the state, targeting key figures involved in the operation.

The investigation has caused a significant stir, with officials continuing to uncover crucial evidence.

The Enforcement Directorate arrested former Excise Minister Kawasi Lakhma on January 15 after multiple rounds of interrogation.

The ACB and EOW registered an FIR in January 2024 based on a letter from the Enforcement Directorate.

Recent findings indicate that the scam, which allegedly took place between 2019 and 2022, resulted in substantial financial losses to the state exchequer while generating illegal profits exceeding Rs 2,100 crore.

The syndicate behind the scam reportedly includes senior bureaucrats, politicians, and excise department officials.

The authorities have confiscated cash, electronic devices, bank records, and land investment documents from suspects’ residences earlier. The investigation remains active as officials work to expose the full extent of the fraudulent activities.

Mumbai, May 17: In a major crackdown on gold smuggling, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Mumbai, arrested a Chadian national who arrived at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) from Addis Ababa, after seizing 4,015 grams of gold worth Rs 3.86 crore ingeniously concealed in the heels of his slippers.

Acting on specific Intelligence, DRI officers intercepted the male passenger shortly after his arrival in Mumbai. Upon conducting a personal search, the officers discovered multiple foreign-origin gold bars cleverly hidden inside the modified heels of the man’s slippers.

In his voluntary statement recorded by officials, the Chadian national admitted to concealing the gold in this unusual manner to bypass customs checks and evade legal detection. The gold was seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962, and the passenger was placed under arrest.

Officials stated that further investigations are underway to trace the origin and intended recipients of the smuggled consignment and to determine if the incident is linked to a broader smuggling network.

This seizure adds to a growing list of recent smuggling attempts intercepted by vigilant DRI officials.

In an earlier case from April 2025, DRI Mumbai had seized foreign-origin gold worth Rs 6.30 crore from a passenger who had arrived at CSMIA from Bangkok. The gold, hidden in specially designed compartments of the passenger’s luggage, was also seized under the Customs Act, with the individual arrested immediately.

The DRI continues to maintain a strict vigil at international entry points, using a combination of Intelligence gathering and surveillance to thwart attempts at smuggling precious metals and other contraband. The agency reiterated its commitment to cracking down on such offenses, which pose a serious threat to economic stability and border security.

Kolkata, May 16: A day after being baton-charged by police, the protesting teachers have assembled again, surrounding Bikash Bhavan, the West Bengal Education Department’s headquarters, on Friday morning.

Some of the protesting teachers with severe head and body injuries were also seen joining the protests.

Some of the protesters attempted to get inside the Bikash Bhavan premises by removing the barricades raised by police around the building at Salt Lake in Kolkata.

A police contingent from Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate has already reached the spot and is trying to control the situation.

The protesting teachers claimed that even if they face police assault again, they would continue with their protests till their last breath until their demands in the matter are fulfilled.

Their main demand is that the state government and West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) should immediately publish lists segregating the “untainted” or “genuine” candidates from the “tainted” ones, who had paid money for getting school jobs.

They also alleged that the state government and WBSSC are “deliberately refraining from publishing the segregated lists to protect the untainted candidates”.

The protesting “genuine” teachers started a gherao agitation on Thursday morning, cordoning off Bikash Bhavan from all sides. At around 10 p.m. on Thursday, a huge police contingent reached the spot and resorted to a massive baton charge to disperse the protesters, in which several protesting teachers were severely injured.

Although the “gherao” demonstration was dispersed, the protesting teachers assembled at a distance from Bikash Bhavan, continuing with their sit-in demonstration.

On April 3, the Supreme Court’s division bench of erstwhile Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar had upheld a previous order by the Calcutta High Court’s division bench of Justice Debangshu Basak and Justice Shabbar Rashidi cancelling 25,753 school jobs in West Bengal.

The Apex Court also accepted the observation of the Calcutta High Court that the entire panel of 25,753 candidates had to be cancelled because of the failure of the state government and the commission to segregate the “untainted candidates from the “tainted” ones.

The state government and West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) had already filed review petitions at the Apex Court on this issue.