Who is Anil Tuteja, retired IAS officer arrested in Chhattisgarh liquor scam?

The ED on Sunday arrested IAS officer Anil Tuteja in a money laundering case linked to the alleged liquor scam in Chhattisgarh.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Sunday arrested bureaucrat Anil Tuteja in a money laundering case linked to the alleged liquor scam in Chhattisgarh. Tuteja has been taken into custody under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and is expected to be produced before a magistrate court seeking his remand, reported news agency PTI.

The arrest comes a day after Tuteja and his son, Yash, were called for questioning by the probe agency in Raipur.

The arrest comes a day after Anil Tuteja and his son Yash were called for questioning by the probe agency in Raipur.

Who is Anil Tuteja?

Anil Tuteja topped the Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission (MPPSC) exam in 1998, and, in 2003 was awarded the Indian Administrative Service (IAS). Reportedly, he was posted as the joint secretary in the state's industry and commerce department.

What is the alleged Chhattisgarh liquor scam and what are the allegations against Anil Tuteja?

The alleged liquor scam relates to the allegations of corruption within Chhattisgarh’s liquor industry, implicating officials and influential functionaries. According to the ED, there were some irregularities between 2019 and 2022 when officials of the state-run liquor retailer, CSMCL, took bribes from distillers.

In July last year, the probe agency filed a chargesheet in the case, claiming that ₹2,161 crore of corruption money was generated in the alleged 'liquor scam' that began in 2019. According to the ED, the money should have gone to the state exchequer. The ED also claimed that money was illegally collected from "every" bottle of liquor sold in Chhattisgarh by an alcohol syndicate led by Anwar Dhebar and Anil Tuteja.

On April 10, the ED filed a fresh money laundering case in the alleged liquor scam case after the Supreme Court recently quashed its earlier FIR that was based on an Income Tax Department complaint. Notably, the fresh case allows the probe agency to re-investigate the charges.

(With inputs from PTI)