In the Chhattisgarh liquor scam, approximately ₹776 crore out of the total ₹2,161 crore collected by Anwar Dhebar, the prime accused and brother of Raipur mayor Aijaz Dhebar, was diverted to “political executives.” Anwar Dhebar intended to replicate the same corrupt scheme in Jharkhand but ceased his activities abruptly when the Enforcement Directorate (ED) initiated an investigation into the irregularities.
The ED filed a charge sheet on Tuesday, naming Anwar Dhebar, Arunpati Tripathi (former managing director of Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation Limited), liquor businessman Trilok Singh Dhillon, hotelier Nitesh Purohit, and Anwar Dhebar’s aide, Arvind Singh. These individuals were arrested between May and June this year.
According to the ED charge sheet, the illicit proceeds amounting to ₹2,161 crore were obtained through four different means: Part A (bribes from distillers per case of procured liquor), Part B (off-the-books sale of unaccounted country liquor), Part C (bribes from distillers for forming a cartel and maintaining a fixed market share), and bribes from FL-10A (foreign liquor) license holders. Part A yielded ₹496 crore, Part B ₹1,173 crore, Part C ₹280 crore, and FL-10A holders contributed ₹211 crore.
Anwar Dhebar managed the collections for Part A and Part C and transferred the entire sum to the political executives of Chhattisgarh, along with Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Anil Tuteja. This amounted to over ₹776 crore. The beneficiaries of this amount have not been disclosed, but the ED is actively investigating and has obtained incriminating documents and records from the Income Tax department.
Anwar Dhebar reportedly moved ₹80-100 crore in cash to Delhi and Mumbai through hawala channels and made significant cash payments to the ruling party in the state for electioneering.
The charge sheet also reveals Anwar Dhebar’s plans to replicate the same scheme in Jharkhand, where he successfully implemented the Chhattisgarh model of Part A and Part B collections for three to four months until the ED intervened. The ED claims that distillers, FL-10A licensees, and manpower suppliers from Chhattisgarh were coerced by Anwar Dhebar and his associates to operate in Jharkhand as well. The ED is coordinating with its Ranchi office to investigate this aspect further.
The ED criticizes the excise department of Chhattisgarh for not taking appropriate measures to stop such malpractices and alleges that they were actively encouraging them.
A substantial portion of the illicit funds is yet to be traced. Investigations have revealed that large sums were transferred to countries such as the UAE and the Netherlands through hawala operators, and significant benami assets have been created overseas.
The ED intends to collaborate with foreign investigative agencies to identify and apprehend these fugitives.
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