Retired Bureaucrat Anil Tuteja Arrested in Chhattisgarh Booze Scam

Retired bureaucrat Anil Tuteja was nabbed by the Enforcement Directorate for his alleged role in the Chhattisgarh liquor scam, which involved systematic corruption, bribery, and evasion of over ₹2,100 crore in taxes.

The Enforcement Directorate has arrested the former IAS officer Anil Tuteja, alleging his involvement in the notorious Chhattisgarh liquor scandal. The former babu of the 2003 batch was apprehended on Sunday under the drastic Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

Former joint secretary Tuteja, who recently retired, is suspected to be the key player in the multi-crore racket related to corruption and tax evasion in the Chhattisgarh liquor trade between 2019 and 2022. The arrest of Sharad Pawar is the next step after his interrogation by ED investigators, during which he did not cooperate.

This case involves top officials from the state-owned liquor company CSMCL allegedly accepting huge bribes from producers regularly. This resulted in approximately Rs. 2,100 crore in revenue loss to the state exchequer, according to the chargesheet filed by the ED last year.

Tuteja is said to have enabled the unethical and wrongful exchange of favors by abusing his bureaucratic powers vested in him with respect to excise policies. He is believed to be one of the individuals involved in a nexus with other accused, including liquor baron Anwar Dhebar.

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Investigators will now question Tuteja regarding the source of his wealth and any tainted assets acquired over time. His relationship with political figures involved in the bootlegging scandal is also under consideration.

A controversy has erupted in the political domain of Chhattisgarh following the detention of the retired IAS officer. With elections just a year away, the sorry tale of the 'babus' and the bootleggers has severely eroded the credibility of the state's governance. We may witness more skeletons emerge as investigations continue to unearth this den of institutional corruption.