New Delhi: A land parcel value over Rs 21 crore allegedly acquired by Anwar Dhebar, the elder brother of Congress chief and Raipur Mayor Aijaz Dhebra, has been present in recent searches by the ED in reference to the Chhattisgarh liquor syndicate rip-off case. The federal probe company in a press release on Monday additionally charged that former Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation Limited (CSMCL) Managing Director Arun Pati Tripathi “corrupted the entire liquor system of Chhattisgarh at the insistence of Anwar Dhebar.”
Tripathi, an Indian Telecom Service (ITS) officer, was the fourth particular person arrested within the case by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) final week. He additionally held the cost of particular secretary within the state excise division.
Anwar Dhebar, lodge businessman Nitesh Purohit and liquor dealer Trilok Singh Dhillon have been taken into custody by the company as a part of its investigation. The 4 are presently in judicial custody.
In the assertion, the ED stated the most recent spherical of searches in Raipur and Bhilai in Chhattisgarh and Mumbai, resulted “in the discovery of a 53-acre land in Naya Raipur (having a book value of Rs 21.60 crore) acquired by Anwar Dhebar by using proceeds of crime in the name of a JV (joint venture)”.
“This property was purchased through a maze of transactions in the name of an associate by routing proceeds of crime acquired from FL-10A licensee,” the company alleged. On the alleged hyperlink between Anwar Dhebar and Tripathi, the company claimed that the previous CSMCL MD “through his direct actions at the insistence of Anwar Dhebar, corrupted the entire liquor system of Chhattisgarh to maximize corruption in the department”.
“He made policy changes in conspiracy with his other colleagues and gave tenders to associates of Anwar Dhebar so that maximum benefits could be taken under PART-A, PART-B, PART-C, and FL10A heads,” it alleged.
Despite being a senior officer, he “went against” the ethos of the functioning of the state excise division and used state-run outlets to promote unaccounted ‘kacha’ (nation) liquor, the company stated. “His (Tripathi’s) complicit actions resulted in massive loss to the state exchequer and filled the pockets of the beneficiaries of the liquor syndicate with more than Rs 2,000 crore illegal proceeds of crime,” the ED stated.
Tripathi, the company claimed, additionally acquired a “substantial share in this loot”. Thus, the very goal of the CSMCL to extend the state’s income and supply quality-controlled liquor to residents was violated by him (Tripathi) for his private unlawful positive factors, it alleged. The company had earlier stated that (*21*) was performed in 4 methods as a part of this unlawful liquor syndicate.
Part-A pertains to “commission” and a bribe was collected from distillers per case of liquor procured from them by the CSMCL, the ED alleged. It stated Part-B pertains to the sale of “unaccounted” ‘kacha’ liquor. Not even a single rupee reached the state exchequer and all of the sale proceeds have been pocketed by the syndicate and “illegal” liquor was offered from state-run outlets solely, the ED claimed.
Under Part-C of the rip-off, “bribes” have been taken from distillers to permit them to make a cartel and have a set market share, the company alleged. The ED stated throughout the current searches, it additionally seized Rs 20 lakh in money, and “unaccounted” investments value about Rs 1 crore with a share buying and selling agency within the title of Arvind Singh (an alleged accused within the case) and (his spouse) Pinki Singh. This cash laundering case stems from a 2022 Income-Tax division cost sheet filed in opposition to IAS officer Tuteja and others earlier than a courtroom in Delhi.
