Saumya Chaurasia Arrested Again in ₹4,364 Crore Liquor Scam; Former ‘Super CM’ Officer Faces Fifth Detention

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has once again arrested Saumya Chaurasia, the former deputy secretary under the previous Chhattisgarh government, in connection with a massive ₹3,200 crore liquor scam. This marks her fifth detention in cases involving alleged financial irregularities totaling ₹4,364 crore.

Background and Previous Arrests
Chaurasia, a 2008-batch Deputy Collector, has already served 822 days in jail after being arrested by the ED on December 2, 2022, and was released on bail in March 2025. Nine months after her release, she was taken into custody again. Investigations allege her involvement in multiple scams, including illegal coal levies, the DMF scam, and accumulation of disproportionate assets.

Evidence and Investigations
According to the investigating agencies, Chaurasia’s arrest is based on WhatsApp chats, diary entries, and interrogations involving key individuals like retired IAS officer Anil Tuteja, businessmen Anwar Dheber, Chaitanya Baghel, Manish Upadhyay, and Jaychand Kosle. Several WhatsApp groups, including ‘Big Boss,’ ‘Pal Group,’ and ‘Monthly Group’, reportedly contain coded references to financial transactions tied to the alleged scams.

Disproportionate Assets
During her 17-year service, Chaurasia reportedly earned ₹89.19 lakh, while her family’s total declared income was ₹2.51 crore. However, she allegedly acquired 45 benami properties worth ₹49.69 crore, 1,872% higher than her legal income. So far, the ED has attached 16 immovable assets worth ₹8 crore, and the EOW has attached 29 properties worth ₹39 crore. Additionally, fixed deposits and mutual fund investments totaling ₹8.6 lakh have been traced under Chaurasia and her relatives’ names.

Massive Scam Allegations
The total alleged misappropriation linked to Chaurasia includes:

• ₹500 crore in illegal coal levy (ED arrest)
• ₹540 crore in another coal levy case (EOW arrest)
• ₹575 crore DMF scam (EOW arrest)
• ₹49 crore in disproportionate assets (EOW arrest)
• ₹3,200 crore liquor scam (ED’s latest arrest)

Profile of Saumya Chaurasia
Chaurasia served as a powerful officer in the Bhupesh Baghel government, often referred to as a ‘Super CM’ bureaucrat. Her repeated arrests have placed her at the center of one of Chhattisgarh’s largest financial scandal investigations, highlighting alleged misuse of administrative authority and systemic corruption.