Chhattisgarh liquor scam caused ₹2,161-crore loss to exchequer, says ED chargesheet

In its chargesheet in the alleged liquor scam case purportedly involving bureaucrats and politicians of Chhattisgarh, the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) claimed on Tuesday that the total loss to the State exchequer was to the tune of ₹2,161 crore.

In its chargesheet in the alleged liquor scam case purportedly involving bureaucrats and politicians of Chhattisgarh, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) claimed on Tuesday that the total loss to the State exchequer was to the tune of ₹2,161 crore.

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The scam, hitherto dubbed as the ₹2,000 crore liquor scam, is among the many corruption allegations over which the ruling Congress government in the State is facing the heat with the Opposition using anti-corruption as a major poll plank ahead of the Assembly elections scheduled later this year.

Filing a prosecution complaint before a special court in State capital Raipur, the ED has alleged money laundering in the case in which it has named Anwar Dhebar — brother of Congress leader and Raipur Mayor Aijaz Dhebar; Managing Director of Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation Limited (CSMCL) Arunpati Tripathi, liquor businessman Trilok Singh Dhillon, hotelier Nitesh Purohit and Arvind Singh as accused.

ED’s counsel Saurabh Pandey said the prosecution complaint ran into 13,000 pages along with relied-upon documents.

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