Liquor Scam: Anwar Dhebar gets bail from SC, Granted on Condition of Cooperation with Probe, But No Jail Release Yet
Raipur
In the Chhattisgarh liquor scam case, businessman Anwar Dhebar, who has been in jail for a long time, has reportedly been granted bail by the Supreme Court. The court granted bail citing delays in the hearing and on the condition that Dhebar cooperates with the investigation.
However, despite securing bail, Dhebar will not be released from jail yet. The Supreme Court has granted him bail only in the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) case. He is also facing charges in a separate case registered by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW).
Dhebar’s lawyer, Amin Khan, stated that bail has been granted in the excise-related case filed by the ED. He added that some of the other accused in this case had already been granted bail earlier. “We have received justice,” he said.
He further argued that no one can be kept in jail indefinitely without trial. The EOW case is also pending in the Supreme Court, and they are hopeful of receiving bail in that matter as well.
The ED is investigating the Chhattisgarh liquor scam. An FIR was registered by the ED through the ACB (Anti-Corruption Bureau), estimating the scam to be worth over Rs 2,000 crore. The ED alleges that the scam was executed during the tenure of the previous Bhupesh Baghel-led government through a syndicate involving IAS officer Anil Tuteja, Excise Department MD A.P. Tripathi, and businessman Anwar Dhebar.
According to ACB findings, between 2019 and 2022, fake holograms were used to sell illegal liquor through government-run shops, causing massive revenue loss to the state exchequer.
The ED has accused former minister Kavasi Lakhma of being a crucial part of the liquor syndicate. The syndicate allegedly functioned under his directions and received his support. He also played a key role in changing the state’s liquor policy, leading to the introduction of the FL-10 license in Chhattisgarh.
The ED claims that Lakhma was aware of the irregularities in the Excise Department but did nothing to stop them.
According to ED, the liquor scam caused a huge loss to the state treasury, while over Rs 2,100 crore in illegal earnings were funneled into the pockets of syndicate members.
