Ranchi, Oct 21: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has been granted permission to interrogate liquor businessman Yogendra Tiwari, a key figure in the Jharkhand liquor scam, for a period of eight days. Yogendra Tiwari, accused of illegal earnings through the liquor scam and money laundering, was arrested and subsequently presented before the Special Court of Ranchi PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) on Friday.
The ED’s arrest of Yogendra Tiwari followed simultaneous raids on 34 locations on August 23, including Tiwari’s warehouse in Deoghar, a residence near Dr. Rajiv Pandey Hospital in Bumpass Town, and various other properties in locations such as Harmu Housing Colony and Jamtara.
The ED’s reasons for seeking Tiwari’s remand point to his alleged use of employees’ names for illicit financial activities. It is alleged that he opened bank accounts in the names of several employees while controlling them himself. Furthermore, Tiwari is accused of utilizing his employees’ identities to conduct illegal sand and liquor businesses, presenting them as partners while retaining full control of these operations.
In 2021, Yogendra Tiwari, along with co-accused Prem Prakash, allegedly assumed complete control of the liquor business in Jharkhand, with the assistance of high-ranking bureaucrats and politicians. This has led to the registration of a case by the ED, consolidating more than a dozen FIRs from different police stations across various districts of Santhal Pargana.
Notably, a total of 25 individuals have been named as accused in a case registered at Deoghar Town police station, with charges ranging from sections 419, 420, 467, 468, 471, 379, 427, 120 (B), and 34 of the IPC. The list of accused includes several prominent names involved in the alleged illicit activities.
