Representative Image, source: Nai Duniya
In a late night development in Chhattisgarh’s capital, Raipur, Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (UP STF) has arrested/ taken custody of Anwar Dhebar, a key accused of the Chhattisgarh Liquor Scam worth over Rs 2000 crores as claimed by Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Anwar was taken into the custody by the special team of Uttar Pradesh police immediately after he walks out of the central jail on late Tuesday evening, June 18.
Following his release from the Raipur central jail, Dhebar was taken to the civil lines police station amidst strong opposition of scores of his supporters who had gathered near the central jail premises of Raipur demanding that Anwar should be taken to hospital.
The development has taken place in the wake of Chhattisgarh’s High Court granting bail to Dhebar on medical grounds on Friday, June 14. Earlier the UP Police had requested for a production warrant before a special court for three accused in connection with fake hologram case registered by the Uttar Pradesh police in Kasna police station in August last year.
Police personnel in adequate numbers have been deployed and security has been tightened up near the civil line police station premises where Dhebar has been kept in the custody of the special team of Uttar Pradesh police.
Dhebar along with other accused Arunpati Tripathi are expected to be produced before a special court of Raipur on Wednesday following which they will be taken to Uttar Pradesh on Production warrant and produce in a Meerut court in connection with the hologram case.
Arrest of Vidhu Gupta
It is worth mentioning here that earlier the Special Task Force (STF) of the Uttar Pradesh police apprehended Vidhu Gupta, director of the Noida based Prism Holography and Security Film Private Limited and an accused in the multi-crore Chhattisgarh’s alleged liquor scam in the first week of May.
Gupta was taken into custody in connection with a First Information Report (FIR) registered by the UP police at Kasna police station against as many as five persons, including Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, Anil Tuteja, an alleged kingpin of the Rs 2000 crore liquor scam.
The other accused in the case are former Managing Director (MD) of the Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation Limited (CSMCL), Arun Pati Tripathi, former excise commissioner and IAS, Niranjan Das, and Anwar Dhebar, a key accused and the brother of senior congress leader of Chhattisgarh and Raipur’s mayor, Ajaz Dhebar.
Case registered by Uttar Pradesh police
Notably, Organiser in August last year reported about the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED’s) direction to 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 ED’s complaint, a case was filed in the Kasna police station under section 120-B/420/468/471/473 and 484 of the Indian Penal Code on July 30.
As per the details of FIR accessed by the Organiser, the ED stated in its complaint that an 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, Niranjan Das and Anil Tuteja 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 disclosed that the ED’s investigation has revealed that 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 to 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.
ED’s fresh ECIR and EOW investigation
It is noteworthy that ED filed a fresh ECIR (Enforcement Case Information Report) into the matter in April this year after the apex court quashed its earlier FIR which was based on an Income Tax department complaint.
The fresh ECIR of the ED is reported to be based on the FIR registered by the EOW/ACB in January in which the agency had named as many as 70 people including of businessmen, leaders of the Congress party, and a few state officials, in connection with the multi crore scam.
The case was registered by the agency after ED submitted its investigation report of its previous probe and claimed to unearth a Rs2100 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.
Recent development in the case
Following filing of a fresh ECIR, the ED had nabbed former IAS official and kingpin of the scam, Anil Tuteja on April 20. Tuteja was taken into custody by ED’s official from the EOW office where he had arrived to record his statement into the same case.
Tuteja arrest by the ED follows the arrest of Anwar Dhebar, Arvind Singh and Arun Pati tripathi who were apprehended by the EOW in April itself. Tripathi, who was a former special secretary at the excise department of Chhattisgarh was apprehended by the EOW officials from Gopalganj of Bihar on April 11.
Recently, sleuths of the ED had also grilled Anwar Dhebar, Trilok Singh Dhillon and Arun Pati Tripathi, all accused in the multi crore scam worth over 2000 crore after taking them on remand between May 27 to 31.
Meanwhile the agency on May 3 had also informed that it has provisionally attached 18 movables and 161 immovable properties worth Rs 2.05 crore (approximately) of Anil Tuteja, Anwar Dhebar, and others in connection with the alleged liquor scam.
The attached properties include 14 assets of Tuteja worth Rs 15.82 crore, 115 properties of Anwar Dhebar worth Rs 116.16 crore, and other assets and properties belonging to other accused.
Notably, several other officials of the state are also reported to be on the radar of the agencies who have intensified their investigation into the case in recent months.
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