Controversial Anticipatory Bail Granted to Retired IAS Officer in Inter-State Liquor Scam

The Chhattisgarh High Court has granted anticipatory bail to retired IAS officer Anil Tuteja in relation to a liquor policy scam. The court cited gaps in the prosecution's case and prolonged investigation delays. Allegations involve manipulation of Jharkhand's excise policy, but no direct evidence links Tuteja to the conspiracy.

The Chhattisgarh High Court has awarded anticipatory bail to retired IAS officer Anil Tuteja concerning an alleged scam involving inter-state liquor policies. The decision highlighted significant gaps in the prosecution's argument and prolonged delays in the investigation process. An FIR registered by the State Economic Offences Investigation and Anti-Corruption Bureau, Raipur, underlines offenses under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Penal Code.

Prosecution claims accused Tuteja as a member of a syndicate manipulating Jharkhand's excise policy to benefit selected liquor businesses, resulting in substantial fiscal loss for the state. Arshdeep Khurana, representing Tuteja, argued the retired officer's false implication and described the 'evergreen arrest' strategy as repetitive persecution preventing his release.

Allegations include secret meetings in Raipur crafting a favorable excise policy framework for certain entities, awarding contracts to linked agencies, and illicit gains via procurement rate tampering and unreported liquor sales. Defenders denied credible evidence tying Tuteja to such acts, noting absence of calls, emails, transactions, or finds in a recovered diary. Despite a 2024 FIR, the agency neither questioned Tuteja nor sought his custody for over eighteen months, and various searches yielded no undisclosed assets, factors considered critical by the court in granting the bail.