New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) alleged that retired IAS officer Anil Tuteja is the “kingpin” of the liquor syndicate operating in Chhattisgarh, resulting in illegal proceeds exceeding Rs 2,100 crore, news agency PTI reported.
Tuteja, a 2003-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, was arrested by the federal agency in Raipur last week and is currently in ED custody.
According to ED, investigations have revealed Tuteja's pivotal role in orchestrating the liquor syndicate's activities in Chhattisgarh. The ED asserted that Tuteja actively managed state administration to facilitate the syndicate's operations and was closely associated with Anwar Dhebar, another key figure in the case and the elder brother of Raipur Mayor and Congress leader Aijaz Dhebar.
"Evidence documenting his direct involvement in managing the state administration for unhindered operations of the syndicate have been gathered and he was also found to be actively engaged with Anwar Dhebar, another co-accused in this matter," ED said.
Although “not officially a part of” the excise department, Tuteja was allegedly involved in its operations, with digital evidence indicating receipts totalling Rs 14.41 crore linked to him.
The ED also alleged Tuteja played a significant role in the appointment of Arunpati Tripathi as the managing director of Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation Limited.
The ED accused Tuteja of “complicity” in causing “massive loss” to the state exchequer, enriching the beneficiaries of the liquor syndicate with illegal proceeds amounting to over Rs 2,100 crore, a “substantial share” of which allegedly found its way into Tuteja's pockets.
Tuteja retired from his IAS position last year, having last served as joint secretary in the Industry and Commerce Department of Chhattisgarh.
This development comes after the Supreme Court invalidated the ED's previous FIR, prompting the agency to initiate a new money laundering case based on a complaint filed by the Chhattisgarh EOW/ACB. The alleged liquor scam, occurring between 2019 and 2022, involved various illegal activities, including commission collection, off-the-books sales of country liquor, and acceptance of bribes from distillers to manipulate market shares.
The ED's estimates suggest that the total “proceeds of crime” in the case amount to Rs 2,161 crore, reflecting the scale of corruption and money laundering perpetrated by the liquor syndicate led by Anwar Dhebar.