Directorate of Enforcement (ED) arrested Arun Pati Tripathi on 12.5.2023 under the provisions of PMLA 2002 in the ongoing money laundering investigation into the Liquor scam in the State of Chhattisgarh. Arun Pati Tripathi is from Indian Telecom Services and is working in the state of Chhattisgarh for last 7 years. He is the Managing Director of state body – Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation Limited (CSMCL) and is also holding the charge of Special Secretary, Excise Department, Chhattisgarh.  

ED is conducting investigation in the liquor scam which ran between 2019 to 2022 in which corruption was done in multiple ways :

PART-A Commission: Bribe was collected from the distillers per each Case of liquor procured from them by the CSMCL (State body for purchase and sale of liquor).

PART-B Kacha liquor sale: Sale of unaccounted kacha off-the-books Country Liquor. In this case, not even 1 ruppee reached the State Exchequer, and all the sale proceeds were pocketed by the Syndicate. The illegal liquor was sold from State-run shops only.

PART-C commission: Bribes taken from distillers to allow them to make a cartel and have fixed market share.

Commission from FL-10A License Holders who were introduced to earn in Foreign liquor segment also.

ED investigation has revealed that Arun Pati Tripathi through his direct actions at the insistence of Anwar Dhebar, corrupted the entire liquor system of Chhattisgarh to maximize corruption in the department. He made policy changes in conspiracy with his other colleagues and gave tenders to associates of Anwar Dhebar so that maximum benefits could be taken under PART-A, PART-B, PART-C & FL10A heads. Despite being a senior ITS Officer and MD of CSMCL, he went against the ethos of the functioning any State Excise Department and used the State run shops to sell unaccounted kacha liquor. His complicit actions, resulted in massive loss to the State Exchequer and filled the pockets of the beneficiaries of the Liquor Syndicate with more than Rs 2000 Crore illegal proceeds of crime. He also received substantial share in this loot. Thus, the very objective of CSMCL to increase the State’s revenue & to provide quality controlled liquor to citizens were violated by him for his personal illegal gains. He was arrested on 12.5.2023 and produced before PMLA Special Court Raipur and 3 days of ED Custody was granted to ED for interrogation and the same has been extended further up to 19.05.2023.

ED also produced Anwar Dhebar, Nitesh Purohit & Trilok Singh Dhillon before the PMLA Special Court and their ED Custody has also been extended up to 19.05.2023. ED has conducted consequential search operations at locations in Raipur, Bhilai & Mumbai and the searches have resulted in discovery of a 53 acres of land in Naya Raipur (having book value of Rs 21.60 Crore) acquired by Anwar Dhebar by using proceeds of crime in the name of a JV. This property was purchased through a maze of transactions in the name of an associate by routing proceeds of crime acquired from FL-10A licensee. During recent search proceedings, ED has seized cash worth Rs 20 lacs and multiple incriminating documents. In searches at Mumbai, unaccounted investments worth around Rs 1 Crore, with a Share trading firm in the name of Arvind Singh and Pinki Singh w/o Arvind Singh were found and the same have been frozen under PMLA. Earlier, ED had frozen Fixed Deposits worth Rs 27.5 Crore from Trilok Singh Dhillon. Earlier, ED had seized jewellery worth Rs 28 Crore from the house of a Country Liquor Distiller. Further investigation is going on.