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Informative

ED Arrests Two Key Accused in Indore Liquor Fake Challan Scam under PMLA.

Update / Judgement Date

05 Oct 2025

Source

WCP News Bulletin

Author

Sakshi Bhardwaj — WCP Legal Desk

Reading Time

2 min read

Money Laundering (PMLA)
ED Arrests Two Key Accused in Indore Liquor Fake Challan Scam under PMLA.
WCP News Bulletin

Headnote:

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Indore Sub Zonal Office, has arrested Ansh Trivedi and Raju Dashwant on 03.10.2025 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) in connection with the Liquor Fake Challan Scam. The scam involved large-scale forgery of government treasury challans, causing a loss of approximately ₹49.42 crore to the Madhya Pradesh state exchequer.


Background:

  1. The ED investigation stems from an FIR registered at Raoji Police Station, Indore under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 against liquor contractors.
  2. Allegations: Liquor contractors used forged treasury challans to evade statutory payments of excise duty, license fees, and minimum guarantee commitments, thereby defrauding the State Government.


ED Investigation Findings:

  1. Fraudulent Modus Operandi:
  2. Treasury challans were initially deposited with nominal amounts.
  3. The “Rupees in Words” section was left blank at the time of deposit.
  4. Later, inflated amounts were filled in both figures and words on challan copies.
  5. These forged challans were submitted to liquor warehouses and district excise offices as proof of duty/licence fee payment.
  6. On the basis of such fabricated documents, the accused obtained illegal NOCs and liquor licence approvals.
  7. Role of Accused:
  8. Ansh Trivedi and Raju Dashwant were identified as the key conspirators who designed and executed the fraudulent scheme, enabling liquor contractors to amass illegal profits.


Proceedings:

  1. Both accused were arrested on 03.10.2025 under PMLA.
  2. They were produced before the Hon’ble Magistrate and have been remanded to ED custody till 08.10.2025.
  3. The investigation is ongoing.


Legal Provisions Concerned:

  1. Sections 3 & 4, PMLA, 2002 – Offence and punishment of money laundering.
  2. Relevant Sections, IPC, 1860 – Forgery, cheating, and criminal conspiracy.

The scam caused an estimated ₹49.42 crore loss to the Madhya Pradesh Treasury.

  1. Forgery of treasury challans was the central modus operandi to bypass excise laws.
  2. Arrest of the key conspirators marks a critical step in unraveling systemic fraud in the liquor licensing system.