The Enforcement Directorate said on Friday that it had attached a Congress party office in Chhattisgarh and assets of former minister Kawasi Lakhma and his son as part of a money laundering investigation linked to an alleged ₹2,100 crore liquor scam that took place during the previous state government.

The agency issued a provisional attachment order under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

In a statement, the federal agency said the attached properties included the Congress Bhawan at Sukma district headquarters in the name of Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee, a residential house in Raipur in the name of Kawasi Lakhma, and a house in Sukma in the name of his son Harish Kawasi and three assets worth ₹6.15 crore.

The agency stated that this marked the first time it had attached assets of a political party under the anti-money laundering law.

A Congress spokesperson in Raipur called the ED’s action “part of BJP’s political conspiracy” and said the party would furnish records of “each and every” penny used for the construction of the Sukma office.

Kawasi Lakhma, 72, served as excise minister in the Congress government led by former chief minister Bhupesh Baghel and had been elected six times as MLA from the Konta assembly seat. His son Harish Lakhma served as a panchayat president in Sukma.

In December 2024, the agency raided the Lakhmas’ premises in Raipur, Sukma, and Dhamtari districts. The ED arrested the senior Lakhma in January. He remained in jail under judicial custody.

The ED said, “Kawasi Lakhma was receiving ₹2 crore per month out of the liquor scam and thereby received proceeds of crime of Rs 72 crore in 36 months.” It added that its investigation led to the seizure of crucial pieces of evidence, which demonstrated the utilisation of cash by Kawasi Lakhma in the construction of these properties. The “cash” worth ₹68 lakh was employed in the construction of the Congress Bhawan, ₹1.40 crore was “utilised” in the construction of the house of Harish Lakhma, and ₹2.24 crore was “utilised” in the construction of his own (Kawasi Lakhma) house at Raipur.

The ED said the Chhattisgarh liquor “scam” caused “massive loss” to the state exchequer and enriched the beneficiaries of the liquor syndicate with more than ₹2,100 crore of illegal proceeds of crime, and alleged that the proceeds generated from the illegal liquor trade were used to build the Congress office in Sukma.

The ED had said in a January statement that Lakhma was “an integral part” of the syndicate (liquor) and “actively assisted” it by “manoeuvring process and procedures as per their direction.”

The agency further stated that Lakhma was receiving “not less than” ₹2 crore per month from the proceeds of crime generated from the liquor “scam” between 2019–2022.

It said, “Kawasi Lakhma was aware of the complete affairs of the excise department, including the liquor scam, yet he did nothing to stop the illegal and unauthorised operations.”

The ED alleged that he played an important role in the policy change, which led to the introduction of the FL-10A license in the state of Chhattisgarh.

The FL-10A licence of the Chhattisgarh government allowed license holders to earn in the foreign liquor segment.

The agency claimed it had been able to collect “evidence” linking the use of proceeds of crime obtained by Lakhma in the construction of immovable properties.

After Lakhma’s arrest, Bhupesh Baghel accused the ED of acting on the directives of the BJP-led Union government and said the agency was conspiring to defame Congress leaders.