Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Raipur has arrested Anil Tuteja, Ex-IAS officer on April 21st 2024 under the provisions of Prevention of money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 in the ongoing money laundering investigation into the Liquor scam in the State of Chhattisgarh.
ED has recorded a fresh ECIR in the liquor scam on the basis of FIR registered by state Police of Chhattisgarh under various sections of IPC, 1860 and Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 in the matter. ED investigation revealed that he is the kingpin of the liquor syndicate operating in the state of Chhattisgarh. Evidences documenting his direct involvement in managing the state administration for unhindered operations of the syndicate have been gathered. He was also found to be actively engaged with Anwar Dhebar, another co-accused in matter. Evidences have been gathered that though he was not officially a part of Excise Department, yet he was actively involved with operations of Excise department.
That digital evidence relating to receipt of Rs. 14.41 Crore by Anil Tuteja has also been discovered during investigation. That his role in appointment of Arun Pati Tripathi as Managing Director of Chhattisgarh State marketing Corporation Limited has also been gathered, who is also a co-accused in the liquor scam.
It is informed, ED is conducting investigation in the liquor scam which ran between 2019 to 2022 in which corruption was done in multiple ways which includes:-
PART-A Commission: Bribe was collected from the distillers per each Case of liquor procured from them by the CSMCL (State body for purchase and sale of liquor).
PART-B Kacha liquor sale: Sale of unaccounted kacha off-the-books Country Liquor. In this case, not even a single rupee reached the State Exchequer, and all the sale proceeds were pocketed by the Syndicate. The illegal liquor was sold from State-run shops only,
PART-C commission: Bribes taken from distillers to allow them to make a cartel and have fixed market share, Commission from FL-10A License Holders who were introduced to earn in Foreign liquor segment also.
ED investigation has revealed that complicit actions of Anil Tuteja resulted in massive loss to the State Exchequer and filled the pockets of the beneficiaries of the Liquor Syndicate with more than Rs 2100 Crore illegal Proceeds of Crime, he also received substantial share in this loot. Anil Tuteja was arrested on April 21st 2024 and produced before the Special Court (PMLA), Raipur and 5 days of ED Custody was granted. Further investigation is under progress.
Modus operandi Private liquor shops are not allowed to operate in the State of Chhattisgarh. In fact, all the Shops are run by the State Government. Government run body M/s CSMCL {Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation Limited} is the only entity with the responsibility to requisition and purchase liquor from the Distillers and IMFL suppliers. The procured liquor is then sold through approximately 800 State run shops across the state.
These shops are run by out-sourced Manpower suppliers and the cash generated by sale of liquor at these shops is collected through outsourced Cash collection agencies. District level Excise Officers and flying squads ensure that no other form of liquor is sold. Since, State run CSMCL is the only purchaser & seller in Chhattisgarh, such an arrangement provided an excellent opportunity to amass unprecedented amount of wealth through corruption. It was ensured that complicit officers are posted at the important positions and there was political backing to avoid any backlash.
Consequently, a corrupt syndicate got formed which made deliberate policy changes and tapped this department to extract maximum bribes and commission at the expense of State Exchequer & Common public. Such was the level of corruption, that in order to prevent pilferage of the loot by insiders of the syndicate and in order to properly account for it, the accused persons maintained detailed logs/excel sheets of the proceeds of corruption. They themselves gave different nomenclatures to the commissions depending on the source from where it was originating. ED investigation has revealed that Anil Tuteja was the chief architect of this scam.