Raipur, Nov 23 (PTI) Chhattisgarh’s Anti-Corruption Bureau/Economic Offences Wing on Sunday carried out searches at 19 locations in connection with the alleged liquor and District Mineral Foundation (DMF) scams that were unearthed during the previous Congress government, officials said.
In the liquor ‘scam’ case, searches were conducted at eight locations, comprising four in Bilaspur district, two in Raipur as well as one each in Durg and Bastar, a ACB/EOW official said.
These premises are linked to relatives of retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers Anil Tuteja and Niranjan Das, who were arrested in connection with the alleged liquor scam, he said.
“Similarly, searches in connection with the DMF case covered 11 locations, comprising four in Raipur district, two each in Bilaspur and Surguja, and one each in Kondagaon, Balrampur and Dhamtari. These premises are linked to Harpal Singh Arora and others, including contractors and associated persons,” the official informed.
During these searches, several important documents and electronic evidence were seized and these will be examined and incorporated into the ongoing investigation, he added.
While the Enforcement Directorate has been probing the money laundering angle in the two alleged scams, the state’s ACB/EOW has been looking into corruption and criminal links, the official said.
The alleged liquor scam worth more than Rs 2,500 crore was orchestrated between 2019 and 2022, while alleged DMF irregularities took place between 2021 and 2023. Chhattisgarh was ruled by the Congress from 2018 and 2023, with Bhupesh Baghel as chief minister.
Baghel’s son Chaitanya Baghel, Congress MLA Kawasi Lakhma, businessman Anwar Dhebar, former IAS officers Anil Tuteja and Niranjan Das, Indian Telecom Service (ITS) officer Arunpati Tripathi were among those arrested in the liquor case.
Suspended IAS officer Ranu Sahu, then deputy secretary at chief minister’s office Soumya Chaurasia, then assistant commissioner with tribal development department Maya Warrier, then Deputy Collector and Nodal Officer of DMF (Korba) Bharosa Ram Thakur and others are accused in the alleged DMF scam.
Sahu and Chaurasia, who were also accused in the alleged coal levy scam, were released from jail after they were granted interim bail by the Supreme Court in May this year. PTI TKP BNM
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