Chhattisgarh EOW files charge sheet against businessman aide in ₹175cr rice milling case

EOW files a chargesheet against Dipen Chawda for allegedly collecting ₹20 crore from public servants in a ₹175-crore rice milling scam.

Updated on: Dec 9, 2025, 22:55:45 IST

By Ritesh Mishra

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RAIPUR: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has filed a supplementary charge sheet against rice milling case accused Dipen Chawda, an associate of businessman Anwar Dhebar, alleging that Chawda collected nearly ₹20 crore from public servants in connection with the ₹175-crore case.

The charge sheet was submitted in the Special Court (Prevention of Corruption Act) in Raipur, EOW said in a statement on Tuesday.

Chawda was arrested last month and has been described as a key aide of Dhebar.

So far, EOW has arrested five people in the case.

According to the EOW, Chawda had allegedly collected nearly ₹20 crore from public servants.

The first chargesheet in the case was filed in February this year against former managing director of Chhattisgarh State Cooperative Marketing Federation Ltd (CG-Markfed) Manoj Soni and Roshan Chandrakar, treasurer of the Chhattisgarh State Rice Millers Association and a rice miller.

A supplementary chargesheet was later filed in October against businessman Dhebar and retired IAS officer Anil Tuteja.

The FIR in the rice milling case was registered last year by the EOW/Anti-Corruption Bureau based on a report from the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is probing the money-laundering angle. The state agency has so far claimed to have detected illegal recovery worth around ₹140 crore from rice millers.

According to ED, the case relates to the 2021-22 kharif marketing season when the state government was led by then chief minister Bhupesh Baghel of the Congress. The money laundering case was initiated after the income-tax department alleged that officials of the Chhattisgarh Rice Millers Association (CRMA) colluded with CG-Markfed officers to misuse a special incentive scheme and earn kickbacks.

Until 2021-22, rice millers were paid a special incentive of ₹40 per quintal of paddy for custom milling, which was later increased to ₹120 per quintal in two instalments. Investigators alleged that CG-Markfed officials and district marketing officers, along with CRMA office-bearers, extorted ₹20 per quintal from rice millers by withholding incentive bills without justification.

Previously, investigators alleged that retired IAS officer Tuteja orchestrated the illegal money collection in criminal conspiracy with CRMA office-bearers. The agency also alleged that Dhebar, the brother of Congress leader and former Raipur mayor Aijaz Dhebar, played a key role in collecting, managing and utilising the illicit funds for Tuteja during the 2018-23 Congress government.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ritesh Mishra
Ritesh Mishra is the State Correspondent for Chhattisgarh with Hindustan Times. He reports on Maoism, internal security, politics, mining, governance, and major developments shaping the state. Based in Raipur, he has covered Chhattisgarh since 2016, reporting extensively from the Bastar region and other conflict-affected areas. With nearly two decades of experience in journalism, Ritesh has built a reputation for ground reporting from some of India's most challenging terrains. His coverage spans Left-Wing Extremism, counter-insurgency operations, elections, tribal affairs, environmental issues, infrastructure, mining, and socio-economic developments. He has reported on major security operations, policy initiatives, wildlife crime, and the changing dynamics of conflict and development in Central India. Before moving to Chhattisgarh, Ritesh spent eight years reporting from Madhya Pradesh, covering politics, administration, crime, development, and social issues. Throughout his career, he has reported on various forms of extremism in Central India, combining field reporting with in-depth analysis to produce accurate, balanced, and impactful journalism. Prior to joining Hindustan Times, Ritesh worked with The Pioneer and The Free Press Journal, where he covered a wide range of beats and honed his skills in political, investigative, and field reporting. His reporting is marked by exclusive stories, extensive fieldwork, and a commitment to factual, on-the-ground journalism that brings complex issues to a wider audience.Read More

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