Supreme Court Grants Bail to Ex-IAS Officer Anil Tuteja in Chhattisgarh Liquor Scam
Bail Granted Amid Ongoing Investigation
In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court of India has granted bail to Anil Tuteja, a former IAS officer, who is embroiled in a money laundering investigation linked to the alleged liquor scam in Chhattisgarh. This decision was made on Tuesday.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has implicated Tuteja, who has connections with former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, as a key figure in the alleged scam involving liquor distribution.
While granting bail, the bench comprising Justices Abhay S. Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan acknowledged that Tuteja has already spent over a year in custody and that the trial will require the examination of more than 30 witnesses.
Additionally, the bench highlighted that the Chhattisgarh High Court recently overturned a special court's order due to the ED's failure to obtain necessary legal sanction.
The Supreme Court instructed the relevant sessions court to release Tuteja on bail, subject to strict conditions that will be determined after consulting the ED.
The investigation into the money laundering allegations originated from a complaint filed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) in Chhattisgarh, citing various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The ED's findings suggest that a criminal network, involving high-ranking state officials, private individuals, and politicians, was engaged in illicit bribe collection, manipulating government operations. Their investigation has uncovered several methods through which the scam functioned between 2019 and 2022.
According to the ED, bribes were solicited from distillers for each liquor case acquired by the Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation Limited (CSMCL). Furthermore, unaccounted sales of illicit 'kacha' liquor generated substantial profits for the syndicate, with none of the earnings reaching the state's treasury. This illegal liquor was distributed through government-operated outlets. Additionally, bribes were accepted from distillers to facilitate market control and allocate fixed shares, along with commissions from license holders in the foreign liquor sector.
The ED estimates that this scam has resulted in a staggering loss of over Rs 2,100 crore to the state's finances, which has been misappropriated by the criminal syndicate.
In a previous ruling last April, the Supreme Court dismissed a money laundering complaint against Tuteja and others, stating that the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) were not applicable due to the absence of a prima facie scheduled offence.