The Raipur wing of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday provisionally attached 18 movable and 161 immovable properties valued at around Rs 205 Crore in the ongoing investigation of a liquor scam in Chhattisgarh.
The financial watchdog has recorded a fresh Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) on the liquor scam on the basis of an FIR registered by state police under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 on the matter.
The attached assets include 14 properties of former IAS officer Anil Tuteja, worth Rs 15.82 Crore, as well as 115 properties belonging to one Anwar Dhebar valued at Rs 116.16 Crore, among others. The attached properties of Anwar Dhebar include Hotel Vennington Court in Raipur being run under the aegis of his firm, M/s A Dhebar Buildcon and a commercial building in the name of Accord Business Tower.
MODUS OPERANDI BEHIND CHHATTISGARH LIQUOR SCAM 2019-22
The accused had a modus operandi that was structured into different stages. Firstly, bribes would be taken from the distillers per case of liquor procured from them by the Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation Limited (CSMCL), which is the state body for the purchase and sale of liquor.
Second was the sale of unaccounted off-the-books country liquor. In this case, not even one rupee would be sent to the state exchequer, and all the sale proceeds would be pocketed by the syndicate. The illegal liquor was sold from state-run shops only.
This was followed by the commission part, according to which bribes were taken from distillers to allow them to make a cartel and have a fixed market share.
The commission from sales would come in from FL-10A licence holders, who were introduced to earn in foreign liquor segment also.
Former bureaucrat Anil Tuteja was arrested on April 21, 2024 and is presently in ED custody.
Further investigation is underway, officials said.
Source Agencies
