Supreme Court Issues Notice On Former Excise Commissioner's Plea Seeking Bail In Chhattisgarh Liquor Scam Case

The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice in a plea by Niranjan Das, former Excise Commissioner, challenging the denial of bail in a money laundering case linked to the alleged Multi-Crore Chhattisgarh liquor scam.

A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi listed the matter for hearing on May 18.

The case pertains to allegations that illegal liquor operations were carried out through State-run outlets, generating proceeds of crime through a structured mechanism involving the collection of commissions.

Das has challenged a March 10, 2026 order of the Chhattisgarh High Court denying him bail under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has alleged that Das, while holding senior positions in the Excise Department, played a pivotal and supervisory role in facilitating the alleged illegal liquor operations and received proceeds of crime amounting to approximately Rs.18 crore.

According to the ED, a commission of around Rs.150 per liquor box was collected and distributed among members of the syndicate and certain public officials.

While rejecting bail, the High Court noted that the allegations pertain to a large-scale economic offence involving generation and laundering of proceeds of crime through manipulation of the liquor distribution system.

The court recorded that the material placed on record prima facie indicated the Das's involvement and that statements recorded under Section 50 of the PMLA and the financial trail could not be brushed aside at the stage of bail.

It further held that Das, who held the highest administrative position in the Excise Department at the relevant time, was attributed a distinct supervisory role in the alleged scheme.

The High Court had held that it was “unable, at this stage, to record the satisfaction mandated under Section 45 of the PMLA that reasonable grounds exist for believing the Applicant to be not guilty of the offences alleged.”

Observing that the twin conditions under Section 45 of the PMLA were not satisfied, the High Court rejected the bail application.