RAIPUR: Arunpati Tripathi, special secretary of the CG Excise department- the first govt official to be arrested in the money laundering case linked to the Rs 2000 crore liquor syndicate scam has been sent to three-day custody by a special court.
Tripathi was arrested on Friday and produced before the PMLA court which pronounced the order. The federal agency alleges to have gathered adequate evidence against Tripathi while probing various aspects of the case. The probe revealed the scam involved the selective grant of licenses to liquor manufacturers for commission, distribution of collected money, and collection of Commission from liquor shops.
Tripathi is posted in the excise department on deputation. He is an Indian Telecom Service officer and also heads the CG Marketing Corporation Limited( which controls the retail sale of all kinds of alcoholic beverages in the state).
Anwar Dhebar, elder brother of Raipur Mayor and Congress leader Aijaz Dhebar, was the first person to be arrested by the agency in the case last week. The ED had earlier told the court that in May 2019, Tripathi was made MD of the CSMCL at Anwar’s behest. He was then assigned the task of maximizing the collection of commission on liquor procured by CSMCL and making arrangements for the sale of non-duty paid liquor in CSMCL-run shops, it said.
Tripathi was supported by Anwar and senior IAS Officers, the ED had claimed.
On May 15th co-accused Anwer Dhebar, Nitish Purohit, and Trilok Singh Dhillion- will be produced in the court with Tripathi.