Big Liquor Scam in Chhattisgarh: Anwar Dhebar and Arunpati Tripathi Arrested
The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in Raipur has arrested two individuals, Anwar Dhebar and Arunpati Tripathi, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). This is part of an ongoing investigation into a significant liquor scam in Chhattisgarh.
Details of the Scam
The scam, which took place between 2019 and 2022, involved selling unaccounted liquor and collecting bribes. Anwar Dhebar, in collaboration with IAS officer Anil Tuteja, orchestrated the scam. Dhebar used his influence to appoint officials in the Excise Department and ran a bribe collection racket.
Roles of the Accused
Anwar Dhebar was the mastermind behind the liquor syndicate, while Arunpati Tripathi played a key role in selling unaccounted liquor through state-run shops. Tripathi also arranged meetings and provided instructions to district excise heads.
Financial Impact
The scam resulted in over Rs 2100 crore in illegal proceeds, causing massive losses to the state exchequer. The ED has already attached properties worth approximately Rs 205.49 crore and continues to investigate.
Ongoing Investigation
Earlier, ex-IAS officer Anil Tuteja, Arvind Singh, and Trilok Singh Dhillon were also arrested. The investigation is still in progress.
Doubts Revealed
Liquor Scam -: A liquor scam is when people do illegal things related to selling alcohol, like not keeping proper records or taking bribes.
Chhattisgarh -: Chhattisgarh is a state in central India. It has many forests and is known for its rich cultural heritage.
Anwar Dhebar -: Anwar Dhebar is a person who was arrested because he was involved in the illegal liquor activities in Chhattisgarh.
Arunpati Tripathi -: Arunpati Tripathi is another person who was arrested for being part of the same illegal liquor activities.
Directorate of Enforcement (ED) -: The Directorate of Enforcement, or ED, is a government agency in India that investigates financial crimes like money laundering.
Raipur -: Raipur is the capital city of Chhattisgarh, where the arrests took place.
Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) -: The Prevention of Money Laundering Act is a law in India that helps catch and punish people who try to hide money they got illegally.
Unaccounted liquor -: Unaccounted liquor means alcohol that is sold without proper records, which is illegal.
Bribes -: Bribes are illegal payments made to someone to get them to do something they shouldn’t do.
Rs 2100 crore -: Rs 2100 crore is a very large amount of money, equal to 21 billion rupees.
Illegal proceeds -: Illegal proceeds are money or profits made from doing something against the law.
Attached properties -: Attached properties are assets like land or buildings that the government takes away because they were bought with illegal money.
Rs 205.49 crore -: Rs 205.49 crore is another large amount of money, equal to 2.05 billion rupees.
