The Economic Offence Wing (EOW) and the Anti Corruption Bureau have intensified their investigation into Chhattisgarh’s alleged liquor scam of Rs 2000 crore that had flourished under the Bhupesh Baghel-led previous Chhattisgarh Government as alleged by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
The investigative agencies intensified their investigation into the matter last week and arrested the former State Special Secretary of Excise, Arun Pati Tripathi, on Thursday, April 11, along with raiding as many as 21 premises related to businessmen and others suspected to be part of the multi-crore scam.
Tripathi is the third catch by the EOW and the ACB after the agencies earlier apprehended transporter Arvind Singh and Anwar Dhebar, the kingpin of the 2000 crore scam as claimed by ED in its report to the EOW/ACB. Tripathi was reportedly nabbed from Gopalganj district of Bihar for his alleged role in the liquor scam and was subsequently produced in the court on Friday from where he has been sent to the custody till 18 of this month. Meanwhile the court has also extended the custody of Dhebar and Arvind Singh till April 18 after their custody ended on Friday, April 12.
Cash and documents seized in raids
Earlier, the agencies raided as many as 21 premises of 4 districts, including of 9 in Raipur, 7 in Durg-Bhilai, 4 in Bilaspur and one in Rajnandgoan. The agencies during the raids have reportedly seized a whopping Rs 19 lakh in cash, along with documents, jewellery, and digital devices.
It is to be noted that earlier, the EOW and ACB had named as many as 70 people, including of businessmen, leaders of the Congress party, and a few State officials. The FIR was filed after the ED submitted its investigation report indicating an alleged scam of Rs 2000 crore.
ED’s Investigation into the case
It is worth mentioning here that the ED, after its probe, claimed to unearth a Rs 2000 crore liquor scam in the state being operated by a cartel composed of bureaucrats, private liquor suppliers, government officials and persons with heavy political backing. Later on, the ED arrested Anwar Dhebar on May 6 last year and claimed that Anwar was the main kingpin on the grounds that around Rs 2000 crore was illegally generated by the criminal syndicate.
Subsequently, the ED had also attached as many as 119 immovable assets worth Rs 121.87 cr of Anwar Dhebar, Anil Tuteja, Arunpati Tripathi and others in connection with the multi-crore liquor scam of Chhattisgarh in May 2023
Later on, ED had also directed the Uttar Pradesh Police to take stringent action against the bureaucrats who are involved in cases of graft. The ED in its complaint, had asked the UP police to investigate irregularities by a Noida based company, ‘Prizm Holography Security Films Private limited’ owned by Vidhu Gupta for supplying duplicate holograms to the liquor syndicate allegedly operating in Chhattisgarh.
Following the ED’s complaint, Uttar Pradesh police had booked Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Anil Tuteja, Indian Telecom Service (ITS) officer and a special secretary in the excise department, Arunpati Tripathi, IAS and excise commissioner Niranjan Das, a businessman Vidhu Gupta along with Anwar Dhebar, elder brother of the Raipur Mayor and congress leader Aijaj Dhebar.
ED, in its complaint, stated that investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act has revealed that one company, namely M/s Prizm Holography Security Films Private Limited, based at Noida, was illegally granted a tender to supply Holograms to the Excise department of Chhattisgarh.
The company was not eligible to participate in the tender process but in connivance with the company’s owner the senior officials of the state of Chhattisgarh, namely Arun Pati Tripathi ITS (Special Secretary Excise), Niranjan Das (Excise Commissioner), and Anil Tuteja IAS modified the tender condition and illegally allotted the tender to the M/s Prizm Holography Security Films Private Limited, Noida.
As a quid pro quo, they took commission of 8 paisa per hologram and also took a commitment to supply unaccounted duplicate holograms to carry out a sinister crime of selling illegal country liquor bottles from state run shops in Chhattisgarh. The hologram was, in fact, a safety feature to ensure that authenticated liquor is sold in the state. But the action of M/s Prizm Holography in manufacturing duplicate holograms in Noida, allowed the Liquor syndicate to use the very same safety feature to fool the gullible general customers.
The complaint further stated that the ED investigation has revealed that a tender was allotted to this company as part of the criminal conspiracy, and M/s Prizm Holography Security Films Private limited was granted the tender in order to ensure smooth supply of duplicate holograms to the liquor syndicate.
The Holograms were made at the Noida factory, and then transported to Chhattisgarh as per the instructions from the Liquor syndicate leaders. The syndicate, as part of the arrangement, allotted the contract of supply 80 crore holograms in 5 years at a highly inflated price to M/s Prizm Holography Security Films Private limited in return for on-demand supply of duplicate holograms.
The ED complaint also revealed that during the course of investigation, Vidhu Gupta the owner of the M/s Prizm Holography Security Films Private limited had admitted that both the original and duplicate holograms were manufactured in their Noida factory premises.
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