Chhattisgarh ‘liquor scam’: ED files petition in HC, seeks CBI probe

Last month, the ED had filed a prosecution complaint before a PMLA special court alleging that a criminal syndicate comprising senior government officials, politicians and private persons had pocketed Rs 2,161 crore by creating a parallel system that sold liquor illegally.

The matter is expected to come up for hearing next week. (Representational Photo/File)

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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday filed a petition before the Chhattisgarh High Court seeking a CBI investigation into the alleged Rs 2,161-crore liquor scam in the state. The matter is expected to come up for hearing next week.

“We had shared information with the state of Chhattisgarh last month, on July 11, but no action was taken. Hence, we had to approach the High Court, seeking a CBI probe in the matter,” Saurabh Pandey, ED counsel, said.

Last month, the ED had filed a prosecution complaint before a Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) special court alleging that a criminal syndicate comprising senior government officials, politicians and private persons had pocketed Rs 2,161 crore by creating a parallel system that sold liquor illegally.

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The accused named in the prosecution complaint are Anwar Dhebar (51), brother of Raipur Mayor Aijaz Dhebar; Arunpati Tripathi (55), an Indian Telecom Services (ITS) official; businessman Trilok Dhillon (59); and their aides Nitesh Purohit (51) and Arvind Singh (48).

The Chhattisgarh government in April this year moved the apex court challenging the constitutional validity of certain provisions of the PMLA, alleging that central investigating agencies were being misused to “intimidate, harass and disturb” the normal functioning of the state government.

In July, the Supreme Court restrained ED from investigating further or taking any coercive measures in the liquor scam case, noting that the agency has so far been acting without any court having taken cognisance of a predicate offence under the money laundering law.

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