E-Paper
MP deputy CM Jagdish Devda’s OSD removed after allegations of ₹1 crore liquor bribe
Devda, also the state excise minister, ordered Deepam Raichura’s removal on Friday, and added in a statement that Raichura wasn’t his OSD when he allegedly accepted the bribe.
Prefer HTon Google
An officer posted on special duty at the Madhya Pradesh deputy chief minister Jagdish Devda’s office was removed from his post after allegations emerged that he had accepted ₹1 crore as bribe from a liquor contractor in 2024-25.
Devda, also the state excise minister, ordered Deepam Raichura’s removal on Friday, and added in a statement that Raichura wasn’t his OSD when he allegedly accepted the bribe.
The allegations against Raichura are contained in a purported statement given to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) by Mohit Gogia, an accused in an alleged ₹930 crore fraud linked to nightclubs, restaurants and luxury real estate in Delhi, Haryana and Punjab.
A copy of the purported statement went viral on social media recently. HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the social media post. Gogia, a Bhopal resident since 2023, was arrested by the Delhi police in November 2025.
In a statement on Friday, Devda said the matter came to his notice through the media and he ordered an inquiry.
“During this period, Raichura was posted as assistant excise officer in Bhopal. At that time he was not working as my OSD,” Devda said, adding: “To ensure a fair and impartial probe, Raichura has been immediately relieved from the charge of OSD”.
According to the viral copy, Gogia alleged that a person identified as Tanuja Sethi introduced him to Raichura when Raichura was assistant excise commissioner in the excise department. Raichura, in turn, allegedly introduced him to Deepak Dubey, saying Dubey would handle his work.
Gogia purportedly claimed in the letter that Raichura helped secure two liquor vends in TT Nagar for 2024-25 in the name of one Jaswant Kumar for ₹1 crore.
“Of this, ₹50 lakh was allegedly paid in cash at a flat in Shalimar Fort Leza on Hoshangabad Road and collected by Deepak Dubey, while the remaining ₹50 lakh was allegedly transferred to the bank account of a hotel near ISBT that purportedly belongs to a friend of Raichura,” reads the letter.
The purported statement further alleges that a fake fixed deposit receipt (FDR), required as bank guarantee for the liquor contract, was approved with Raichura’s help, and that unlicensed liquor was supplied at the two shops.
The statement also includes a mobile number through which Gogia was allegedly in touch with Raichura over calls and chats.
Gogia is currently lodged in a jail in connection with the alleged ₹930 crore fraud involving around 200 people. The Income Tax Department and the Enforcement Directorate have raided his premises and his assets have been frozen.
The viral statement also names several Bhopal-based businessmen with alleged links to senior bureaucrats and politicians.
Reacting to this Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari said, “A high level inquiry should be conducted into the matter as it was a serious matter of corruption.”
