Chhattisgarh Liquor Scam: FIR Filed Against 2 IAS Officers and Hologram Businessman in Noida

Raipur In a twist to alleged Rs 2000 crore liquor scam of Chhattisgarh, Enforcement Directorate Deputy Director Hemant Kumar has registered an FIR at the Kasna police station in Noida against the accused involved in the scam. The accused named in the FIR include former ITS officer Arun Pati Tripathi, IAS officer Niranjana Das, hologram businessman Vidhu Gupta, Anwar Dheber, and a senior IAS officer. They are facing charges under Sections 420, 468, 471, 473, 484, and 120B of the Indian Penal Code. The FIR revealed that during the investigation of the liquor scam, the ED found irregularities in the establishment of Vidhu Gupta’s company, M/s Prism Holography Security Films Private Limited, located in Noida. The company had obtained a tender to supply holograms to Chhattisgarh’s Excise Department, involving crores of transactions facilitated through collusion with senior state officials. Arun Pati Tripathi and Niranjana Das, along with another IAS officer, monitored the tender process and awarded it to Gupta’s company, receiving an 8 paise commission per hologram in return. Further investigation also unveiled Gupta’s involvement in creating duplicate holograms in Noida. He revealed that Arun Pati Tripathi provided him with several serial numbers over the phone, which were hologram numbers that had already been printed and used by the Excise Department. Subsequently, fake holograms were manufactured and placed on liquor bottles, leading to a staggering loss of ₹1,200 crore for the state exchequer while benefiting the accused. The liquor scam case has faced some legal hurdles, with the Supreme Court issuing a stay on the Enforcement Directorate’s investigation into alleged ₹2,000 crore scam in Chhattisgarh two weeks ago. The court granted interim protection to the petitioners and emphasized no punitive actions should be taken against the officers involved. As of May 22, 2023, the Enforcement Directorate has attached properties worth ₹121.87 crore belonging to Anwar Dheber, Arun Pati Tripathi, and officer Anil Tutuja in connection with the scam. A total of ₹180 crore worth of properties, including cash and FDs, have been attached in the state. The ED’s investigations have also led to the seizure of ₹20 lakh in cash and incriminating documents from Anwar Dheber in Mumbai, while information about investments worth ₹1 crore made by Arvind Singh and his wife Pinky Singh has been uncovered. Additionally, a fixed deposit of ₹27.5 crore belonging to Trilok Singh Dhillo and jewelry worth ₹28 crore have been frozen. The ED had previously arrested Anwar Dheber, alleging that he generated illegal funds amounting to ₹2,000 crore through liquor trade between 2019 and 2022. He reportedly routed this money to Dubai through his associate Vikas Agrawal. The ED’s records indicate that Dheber distributed the illicit funds to his associates based on percentages and allocated a significant share to political figures. Alongside Dheber, officers from the Excise Department, AP Tripathi, businessman Trilok Dhilwan, Nitesh Purohit, and Arvind Singh were also apprehended in the case. Anwar Dheber is currently out on bail on medical grounds.