Enforcement Directorate has arrested two more individuals in connection with the alleged liquor scam worth Rs 2100 crore that flourished under the state under the regime of previous government, informed the agency on Thursday, July 4.
Arvind Singh and Trilok Singh Dhillon both accused in the multi-crore scam were apprehended from Raipur’s central jail on July 1 under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). They were subsequently produced before a special PMLA court of Raipur from where they have been sent to ED’s custody till July 6.
Both Arvind Singh and Trilok Singh Dhillon were earlier nabbed by the Economic Offence Wing (EOW) of Chhattisgarh in connection with the case in April this year.
According to the reports, the economic intelligence agency has claimed that Trilok Singh Dhillon was a prime beneficiary of the proceeds of crime through a classic mode of money laundering and he has willingly and knowingly allowed his bank accounts and firms to be used for layering large amounts of proceeds of crime.
The agency had further claimed that Dhillon has taken funds through banking channels from the FL-10 A license holder falsely showing those as unsecured loans and kept those as fixed deposits. He has also taken kickbacks from major country liquor suppliers in the guise of business transactions and kept the money with him.
About another arrested accused Arvind Singh, the agency has claimed that Singh played an active role in the multi-crore scam and was the right hand of Anwar Dhebar, another key accused in the case.
ED, Raipur has arrested Arvind Singh and Trilok Singh Dhillon on 01.07.2024 under the provisions of PMLA, 2002 in the ongoing money laundering investigation into the Liquor scam in the State of Chhattisgarh.
— ED (@dir_ed) July 4, 2024
According to the ED, Singh was responsible for collecting cash, supplying liquor bottles without a bill to the distillers through his accomplices and supplying duplicate holograms which was accessed from a Noida based company whose owner, Vidhu Gupta has already been arrested by the Uttar Pradesh police.
Recent development in the case
Notably, the EOW on July 1 filed a 9000 page chargesheet against Arun Pati Tripathi, Anwar Dhebar and other accused in connection with the case before a special Raipur court.
The development has taken place amidst EOW furthering its investigation into the case and seizing significant evidences along nabbing and interrogating key accused Dhebar, Tripathi, former IAS Anil Tuteja and businessmen Arvind Singh and Triloki Singh Dhillon.
Notably, Dhebar was recently taken into custody and produced before a Meerut’s court by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (UP STF) in connection with a First Information Report (FIR) registered by the UP police in July last year following directives from ED’s Raipur based zonal office.
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.
Following filing of fresh complaints in the case, the agencies have apprehended a number of accused including the main kingpin of the scam, Anil Tuteja, elder brother of Raipur’s mayor and key accused, Anwar Dhebar, transporter Arvind Singh, liquor businessmen Triloki Dhillon and former special secretary at the excise department of Chhattisgarh Arun Pati Tripathi.
Other than the arrests made during its investigation into the matter the ED has also attached assets worth Rs 205 crore of various accused in connection with the case till now.
