Chhattisgarh liquor scam: 1200-page supplementary charge-sheet filed against arrested Congress MLA
A six-time Congress legislator Lakhma, who was excise minister in the earlier Congress regime led by Bhupesh Baghel, was arrested on January 15 this year and has been in jail as among the prime accused.
Lakhma appeared virtually before the trial court proceeding via video conferencing. He appealed the court to allow him to appear physically instead of virtually before it, saying that 'he was neither a terrorist nor a Pakistani'.
In the fourth charge-sheet produced before the special court (Prevention of Corruption Act), around seventy have been named as accused including Lakhma who was found to have 'grossly disregarded his position' as the minister. "The probe, examination of evidence gathered including financial analysis indicated an alleged gross misuse of his then constitutional post in manipulating the tender process and interfering in the decisions. And Lakhma got a share of Rs 64 crore from the liquor scam", according to officials.
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