MP Liquor Contract Row: How a Disputed ₹2.75-Crore Bank Document Passed Official Checks

A controversy over liquor-shop contracts in Madhya Pradesh has raised questions about official oversight, financial safeguards and accountability after a departmental inquiry reportedly found serious irregularities in a ₹2.75-crore bank document submitted for a Bhopal liquor contract.

The Congress on Wednesday demanded an impartial investigation, challenging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to act if he was not shielding corruption. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh and state party chief Jitu Patwari questioned how the disputed document was accepted and why officials allegedly allowed the contract process to continue despite irregularities.

The case relates to the 2024-25 excise year. According to the reported inquiry findings, AU Small Finance Bank confirmed that it had not issued the electronic fixed deposit receipt (e-FDR) worth ₹2,75,53,535 submitted as security. The document was dated May 12, 2024, while a verification report was recorded on May 20. Investigators reportedly found that the verification report had come through the licence holder's email and that there was no record confirming delivery of the verification request to the bank.

The inquiry also flagged delayed security deposits and irregularities in the transfer of a liquor licence, including questions over partnership documents and security accepted from a person reportedly not listed as a firm partner.

The controversy widened after a purported statement attributed to businessman Mohit Gogia, an accused in a separate fraud case, alleged that ₹1 crore was paid to secure two liquor-shop contracts in Bhopal. The claim includes an alleged ₹50-lakh cash payment and another ₹50 lakh transferred through a bank account. These allegations have not been independently established.

Deepam Raichura, who was an Assistant Excise Commissioner when the contracts were awarded and later served as an officer on special duty to Deputy Chief Minister Jagdish Devda, was removed from the OSD position on October 9 and suspended by the Excise Department on October 12. Raichura has denied the bribery allegations as false and fabricated. Devda said he ordered an inquiry after learning of the matter through media reports and clarified that Raichura was not his OSD when the contracts were awarded.

The department has since moved to electronic bank guarantees for liquor-shop tenders, a measure intended to help prevent duplicate or fabricated security documents.

The government has taken departmental action, but questions remain over whether a criminal investigation will establish who submitted the disputed document, who approved it and whether other officials were involved. The BJP and state government had not immediately responded to Congress's latest demand for a wider probe.