BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Jagdish Devda has relieved his officer on special duty (OSD), Dipam Raichura, of his charge with immediate effect following allegations of a Rs 1 crore payment in connection with liquor shop contracts in Bhopal for the 2024-25 financial year.
Devda, who is also the state’s excise minister, said on Friday that he had learnt about the alleged irregularities through local media reports and had directed the department concerned to conduct a prompt investigation. He clarified that Raichura was posted as an assistant excise officer in Bhopal during the period in question and was not serving as his OSD at the time.
The decision, he said, was intended to ensure an impartial inquiry into the allegations.
The controversy follows the circulation on social media of a purported statement attributed to Mohit Gogia, an accused in an alleged fraud case involving approximately Rs 930 crore. The statement reportedly raises questions about Raichura’s role in securing liquor shop contracts and facilitating the approval of allegedly forged fixed deposit receipts (FDRs) used as bank guarantees.
According to the purported statement, two liquor shops in Bhopal’s TT Nagar area were allotted in the name of Jaswant Kumar for 2024-25. Gogia allegedly claimed that Rs 1 crore was paid to facilitate the contracts, with Rs 50 lakh paid in cash and the remaining Rs 50 lakh transferred to the bank account of a hotel operator near the Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT).
The statement further alleges that the cash was collected through a person identified as Deepak Dubey, who was purportedly introduced to Gogia by Raichura. It also alleges that assistance was provided in obtaining approval for forged FDRs and facilitating the sale of liquor without the requisite licence.
Gogia’s purported account also claims that Tanuj Sethi introduced him to Raichura in 2022-23, after which Raichura introduced him to Dubey.
Meanwhile, Raichura has reportedly denied the allegations, describing them as false and baseless. The claims have not been independently established, and the outcome of the proposed departmental inquiry is awaited.
The controversy has also triggered a political response, with the opposition Congress demanding stronger action, including the registration of a first information report (FIR) and an independent investigation.