THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
Raipur, May 3: In connection with a money laundering investigation related to an alleged liquor scam worth Rs 2000 crore in Chhattisgarh, the Enforcement Directorate on Friday announced that it has provisionally attached 18 movable and 161 immovable properties valued at around Rs 205.49 crore.
Based on a First Information Report (FIR) filed by the state police under numerous sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, the central investigative agency has recorded a new Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) in the liquor scam.
In a statement, the ED said, “The attached properties include 14 properties in respect of Anil Tuteja, Ex-IAS worth Rs 15.82 crore; 115 properties in respect of Anwar Dhebar worth of Rs 116.16 crore; 3 properties in respect of Vikash Agarwal worth Rs 1.54 crore; 33 properties in respect of Arvind Singh worth of Rs 12.99 crore; one property in respect of Arunpati Tripathi worth Rs 1.35 crore; 9 properties in respect of Trilok Singh Dhillon worth Rs 28.13 crore, jewellery worth Rs 27.96 crore in respect of Naveen Kedia; movable properties worth Rs 1.2 crore in respect of Asheesh Saurabh Kedia/Dishita Ventures Pvt. Ltd.; and one vehicle worth Rs 0.13 lakh in respect of M/s Nexgen Engitech Power Pvt. Ltd”.
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Diverse corrupt practices unearthed by ED
The ED claims that there were several ways in which the corruption in the liquor scam, which took place between 2019 and 2022, was carried out, including the collection of bribes from distillers for each case of liquor that the Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation Limited (the state body responsible for the purchase and sale of liquor) acquired from them.
Not a single penny made it to the state exchequer; instead, the syndicate pocketed all of the earnings from the sale of the unaccounted country liquor that the alleged gang behind the scheme sold and kept off the books. According to the ED, state-run stores sold the illicit alcohol.
In order for distillers to form a cartel and hold a set market share, bribes were also obtained from them. According to ED, licenced merchants of foreign liquor also received a commission.
