Chhattisgarh: Rs 2000 crore liquor scam unearthed, IAS officer and alcohol baron termed as ‘kingpins’

As the liquor scam case in Delhi continues to make headlines, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has claimed that a similar alleged scam has erupted in Chhattisgarh, with an IAS officer and a liquor baron in the state being termed as the prime accused.

The ED has claimed that the alleged liquor scam in Delhi is worth Rs 2000 crore, and the liquor businessman, who is allegedly the “kingpin” of the entire scam, has been arrested by the authorities in relation to the alleged fraud.

Alcohol baron Anwar Dhebar, who is also the brother of Congress leader and Raipur Mayor Aijaz Dhebar, was arrested by the ED on Saturday, after the agency uncovered the massive scam, alongside his counterpart IAS officer, who has also been named as the prime accused in the case.

Apart from Dhebar, IAS officer Anil Tuteja, who is posted as joint secretary in Chhattisgarh's industry and commerce department, has also been named in the scam, being termed as the kingpin, accused of running a syndicate comprising of high-ranking officials in the state.

According to the ED report, over 30-40 percent of the total liquor brought in Chhattisgarh was illegal and is the result of the state liquor scam, between 2019 and 2022. While this liquor was sold at the government shops, the revenue from the same didn’t go to the government.

Apart from claiming that there was a Rs 2000 crore liquor scam in the state, the Enforcement Directorate also said that over Rs 14 crore was exchanged between the accused liquor baron and the IAS officer, who have since been arrested in the case.

Meanwhile, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghal has rubbished the claims of a liquor scam in the state and said that the allegations made by the ED are “false and baseless”, terming the case as an attempt to “defame” the Congress party ahead of the state assembly elections.

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