ED files petition in Chhattisgarh HC, seeks CBI probe into liquor scam

ED’s counsel said that various pieces of evidence have been provided to the high court stating the state government is helping the accused in the alleged liquor scam

The Enforcement Directorate ( ED) on Monday filed a petition in the Chhattisgarh high court seeking its direction to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to register an offence in the alleged liquor scam in the state.

ED earlier claimed that a syndicate comprising high-level state government officials, private persons and political executives of the state government was involved in a liquor scam of more than ₹2,000 crore in the last four years in Chhattisgarh. (File Photo)

The petition is yet to be listed for hearing in the court.

ED counsel Saurabh Pandey, who filed the petition in the court, said that the hearing of the petition will take place in a week and various pieces of evidence have been provided to court stating the state government is helping the accused.

Notably, the Supreme Court asked ED on July 18 to “stay their hand in all manner” in the alleged liquor scam- linked money-laundering probe.

ED earlier claimed that a syndicate comprising high-level state government officials, private persons and political executives of the state government was involved in a liquor scam of more than ₹2,000 crore in the last four years in Chhattisgarh.

Pandey said that four important points are mentioned in the writ petition on which ED is demanding a CBI probe.

“Firstly, no action has been taken by the state government against the accused even when the information of the crime was shared by ED to the state government under Section 66 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Special facilities have been given to the accused in jail violating the jail manuals. Unnecessary privileges have been given to the accused as they stay in hospitals of their choice although they have no serious illness. And lastly, the state police are doing recce of the ED teams and evidence has been submitted to the court,” Pandey said.

“ …We have lost faith in the state machinery as it is helping the accused hence, we asked for a CBI probe,” he added.

Faizal Rizvi, the lawyer of three accused in the alleged liquor scam, said that ED is harassing his clients.

“ The matter is sub judice in SC even after that they are approaching the high court. ED is harassing my clients . We will submit our answers to HC when asked,” said Rizvi.

It is worth mentioning that the Chhattisgarh government in 2019 withdrew the general consent accorded to the CBI to probe cases in the state.

On July 31, restricted by the SC from taking any action in the scam, ED filed a complaint with the Uttar Pradesh police, asking it to investigate irregularities by a Noida- based company for supplying duplicate holograms to the liquor syndicate in Chhattisgarh, which were allegedly used to dupe consumers.

Three Chhattisgarh government officials, including two Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers, Anwar Debhar, the brother of Raipur mayor Aijaz Debhar and businessman Vidhu Gupta, were named in the complaint.