Chhattisgarh Liquor Scam: ED Busts Rs.2000 Cr ‘Liquor Scam’ , Mayor’s Brother Arrested

RAIPUR: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday busted Rs. 2000 crore ‘Liquor Scam’ and Money laundering racket in Chhattisgarh which was suspected of benefiting up to Rs.1,500 crore without submitting any money to the state exchequer and of unlawfully selling spirits in government-run shops throughout the state.

A possible collaborator, Anwar Dhebar, who is the elder brother of Raipur’s Mayor Aijaz Dhebar was arrested by ED. He allegedly controlled and manipulated the liquor trade chain, including the procurement and retail sale of liquor. Between 2019 to 2022 it was suspected that the illegally sold unaccounted country-made liquor was sold from govt run shops to the state.

He appeared in front of a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court, which placed him in the custody of the ED for four days.

According to ED officials, the illicit, off-the-books sale of country-made spirits accounted for an estimated 40% of total spirits sales in that state. According to ED sources, the syndicate guaranteed that money was gathered illegally from every bottle of spirits sold in the state.

In Chhattisgarh, no private alcohol stores are permitted, and the government operates all 800 liquor stores. The Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation Limited (CSMCL) purchases all spirits sold in the state, and the organization releases tenders for labour suppliers who manage the shops, cash-collecting tenders, and the selection of bottle makers and hologram producers.

Dhebar allegedly began obtaining unaccounted country-made spirits and selling them through government-run businesses. According to the ED study, from 2019 to 2022, this type of unlawful selling accounted for over 30-40% of all spirits sales in the state. According to the ED, this resulted in unlawful gains of Rs 1,200-Rs 1,500 crores.

On the other hand, In a tweet, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal slammed the BJP, calling the liquor scandal "false" after a court granted bail to two of the case's accused.

Judge MK Nagpal of Rouse Avenue court in Delhi stated in an order that the evidence gathered at the time of evidence was "insufficient" to establish a conclusion. The court also noted a lack of monetary evidence of bribes or kickback repayments, stating that cash transfers could not be dubbed bribes based on ambiguous claims of witnesses.

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