Chhattisgarh Congress Treasurer Ramgopal Agrawal Arrested in Coal, Liquor and Paddy Scam Cases

Chhattisgarh's anti-corruption investigators have arrested a senior Congress party functionary, deepening a series of financial scandals tied to the state's previous Congress government. Ramgopal Agrawal, the treasurer of the Chhattisgarh unit of the Congress party, was taken into custody by the Economic Offence Wing after allegedly evading investigators for a long period.

The case traces back to what investigators call the coal levy scam. During the earlier Congress-led government in the state, officials allege that a cartel forced an illegal charge of 25 paise for every tonne of coal moved within Chhattisgarh. This money was allegedly funnelled through a network, and a diary belonging to Suryakant Tiwari, described as the scheme's alleged mastermind, reportedly contained entries showing large sums credited in the name of the party's state headquarters, known as Congress Bhawan.

Investigators say their probe indicates that Agrawal personally received these funds at Congress Bhawan. He is now being questioned about how the diary entries came about, where the money originated, who physically delivered it, who received it on the party's behalf, and how it was eventually used.

The case against Agrawal does not stop at coal. Officials say he is also linked to an alleged liquor scam, in which businessman Anwar Dhebar and his associates are accused of delivering large sums of money to him at the same party office. Investigators intend to question him on how this money moved and who was involved at each step.

A third case involves an alleged irregularity in paddy procurement. During the 2021-22 Kharif marketing season, when Chhattisgarh was ruled by the Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress government, authorities allege that around ₹140 crore was illegally extracted from rice millers through what is called the custom milling process. Investigators claim a middleman named Roshan Chandrakar delivered crores of rupees from this scheme to Agrawal at Congress Bhawan.

Adding another layer, Agrawal's son, Vaibhav Agrawal, was reportedly questioned by investigators over the two days preceding the arrest, suggesting the inquiry may extend beyond just the treasurer himself.

The Congress party's state spokesperson has sought to distance the party from the allegations, saying that while Agrawal formally held the treasurer's post, he had stopped performing those duties and had been missing for some time before his arrest.

With Agrawal now in custody, the investigating agency is expected to press him for details on fund sources, the people who handled the money, and how it was used, findings that could implicate other individuals connected to the Congress party's finances during its time in power in Chhattisgarh.