ED attaches assets worth Rs 205 cr: What is the Chhattisgarh liquor scam?

In a significant development in the ongoing investigation of the Chhattisgarh liquor scam, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) attached assets worth over Rs 205 crore on Friday. This move is part of the ongoing probe into the alleged illegal activities involving the sale of liquor in the state. The ED's action is aimed at freezing the assets of those involved in the scam, which is believed to have caused significant financial losses to the state exchequer.

 

What did ED find?

 

The attached properties include 14 assets of Tuteja worth Rs 15.82 crore, 115 properties of Anwar Dhebar, the elder brother of Raipur Mayor and Congress leader Aijaz Dhebar, worth Rs 116.16 crore, properties of Vikash Agarwal alias Subbu worth Rs 1.54 crore and 33 properties of Arvind Singh worth Rs 12.99 crore, the agency said in a statement.

 

Assets worth Rs 1.35 crore belonging to Arunpati Tripathi, an officer in the Indian Telecom Service and special secretary of the excise department, were seized, along with nine properties valued at Rs 28.13 crore owned by liquor businessman Trilok Singh Dhillon. Additionally, jewellery valued at Rs 27.96 crore, associated with Naveen Kedia, connected to Chhattisgarh Distillery Limited based in Durg, was also confiscated.

 

ED also attached movable properties worth Rs 1.2 crore of Asheesh Saurabh Kedia/Dishita Ventures Pvt Ltd and a vehicle registered in the name of Nexgen Engitech Power Pvt Ltd.

 

The "complicit" actions of Tuteja resulted in a "massive loss" to the state exchequer and filled the pockets of the beneficiaries of the liquor syndicate with more than Rs 2,100 crore illegal proceeds of crime. Tuteja also received a substantial share in this loot, the ED claimed.

 

Scam Details

 

As per ED, the alleged liquor scam ran between 2019 and 2022. The scam is believed to have been structured into different stages. Firstly, bribes were taken from distillers for the procurement of liquor. Secondly, unaccounted country liquor was sold, with all sales kept off-the-books. This resulted in no revenue being generated for the state. The commission part of the scam involved taking bribes from distillers to allow them to have a fixed market share and earn profits from the sale of foreign liquor.

 

Tuteja was arrested in this case recently by the ED where it had alleged that the commission generated through illegal sale of liquor was shared "as per the directions from the highest political executives of the state.