The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached 119 immovable properties estimated around ₹121.87 crore under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection with the alleged liquor scam-linked money laundering case in Chhattisgarh.
Out of the attached properties, 14 assets belong to Indian Administrative Service (IAS) official Anil Tuteja, currently Joint Secretary in the State’s Industry and Commerce department; 69 are related to businessman Anwar Dhebar; 32 of Arvind Singh, three owned by Vikash Agarwal and one by Arun Pati Tripathi, Director at Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation Limited. Hotel Vennington Court in Raipur run by Mr. Dhebar’s A Dhebar Buildcon company, said the agency.
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According to the ED, the alleged corruption was committed from 2019 to 2022. It is alleged that bribes were collected from the distillers for the procurement of liquor from them by the Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation Limited (CSMCL); there was off-the-books sale of unaccounted country liquor and the funds so generated were pocketed by the syndicate; and the illegal liquor was sold only from State-run shops. Moreover, bribes were allegedly taken from distillers to allow them to make a cartel and have a fixed market share. Commissions were charged from “FL-10A” licence holders who were introduced to earn in the foreign liquor segment also.
The ED had earlier arrested Mr. Dhebar, Mr. Tripathi, Nitesh Purohit and Trilok Singh Dhillon for their alleged involvement in money laundering. The agency has so far conducted 50 search operations in Raipur, Bhilai, Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai and seized assets worth ₹58 crore in the case.
