ED arrests former IAS Anil Tuteja in Chhattisgarh liquor scam case

• ED arrests former IAS Anil Tuteja in Chhattisgarh liquor scam case, along with his son, Yash
• Supreme Court had earlier quashed PMLA proceedings against Tuteja, citing lack of established predicate offenc
• Fresh case filed by ED allows reinvestigation into alleged corruption worth Rs. 2,000 crore within Chhattisgarh liquor industry

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has taken retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Anil Tuteja into custody as part of its ongoing investigation into alleged corruption within the Chhattisgarh liquor industry. Tuteja, along with his son Yash, was summoned for questioning at the agency's Raipur office late Saturday evening before being arrested under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). This development follows the Supreme Court's recent decision to quash PMLA proceedings against Tuteja and others involved in the liquor scam due to the lack of an established predicate offence.

Despite the Supreme Court's ruling, the ED filed a fresh case based on a first information report (FIR) lodged by Chhattisgarh police, allowing for a reinvestigation of the charges. The FIR, which implicates 70 individuals including Anil Tuteja, his son, several Congress leaders, bureaucrats, and businessmen, alleges corruption amounting to Rs. 2,000 crore within the state's liquor industry between 2019 and 2022. The controversy, which originated from claims of irregularities involving the Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation Limited (CSMCL), has fueled political tensions, with the former Congress-led state government accusing the BJP-led central government of using investigative agencies for political purposes.