New Delhi [India]: A Special Court in Raipur on Monday extended four people including the Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation Limited (CSMCL) Chief Arun Pati Tripathi’s custody to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) till May 19.
Tripathi was arrested on May 12 in connection to a Rs 2000 cr liquor scam in the state and was granted 3 days of ED Custody for interrogation and the same has been extended further up to May 19.
ED also produced Anwar Dhebar, Nitesh Purohit and Trilok Singh Dhillon before the PMLA Special Court and their ED Custody has also been extended up to May 19, said officials.
Earlier, on May 12 ED arrested Arun Pati Tripathi under the provisions of PMLA 2002 in the ongoing money laundering investigation into the Liquor scam in the State of Chhattisgarh.
According to official sources, Arun Pati Tripathi is from Indian Telecom Services and is working in the state of Chhattisgarh for the last 7 years. He is the Managing Director of the state body – Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation Limited (CSMCL) and is also holding the charge of Special Secretary, Excise Department, Chhattisgarh.
ED is conducting an investigation into the liquor scam which ran between 2019 to 2022 in which corruption was done in multiple ways. The bribe was collected from the distillers per each case of liquor procured from them by the CSMCL, they said.
ED investigation has revealed that Arun Pati Tripathi through his direct actions at the insistence of Anwar Dhebar, corrupted the entire liquor system of Chhattisgarh to maximize corruption in the department. He made policy changes in conspiracy with his other colleagues and gave tenders to associates of Anwar Dhebar so that maximum benefits could be taken.
Despite being a senior ITS Officer and MD of CSMCL, he went against the ethos of the functioning of any State Excise Department and used the State-run shops to sell unaccounted kacha liquor.
His complicit actions resulted in massive losses to the State Exchequer and filled the pockets of the beneficiaries of the Liquor Syndicate with more than Rs 2000 Crore in illegal proceeds of crime. He also received a substantial share in this loot.
Thus, the very objective of CSMCL to increase the State’s revenue & to provide quality controlled liquor to citizens was violated by him for his personal illegal gains, read the official statement.
ED has conducted consequential search operations at locations in Raipur, Bhilai & Mumbai and the searches have resulted in the discovery of 53 acres of land in Naya Raipur having a book value of Rs 21.60 crore acquired by Anwar Dhebar by using proceeds of crime in the name of a JV.
This property was purchased through a maze of transactions in the name of an associate by routing proceeds of crime acquired from FL-10A licensee. During recent search proceedings, ED has seized cash worth Rs 20 lacs and multiple incriminating documents, mentioned the official statement.
In searches in Mumbai, unaccounted investments worth around Rs 1 Crore, with a Share trading firm in the name of Arvind Singh and Pinki Singh w/o Arvind Singh were found and the same have been frozen under PMLA.
Earlier, ED had frozen Fixed Deposits worth Rs 27.5 Crore from Trilok Singh Dhillon. Earlier, ED had seized jewellery worth Rs 28 Crore from the house of a Country Liquor Distiller.
