Enforcement Directorate Arrests Anwar Dhebar in Chhattisgarh Liquor Scam

The Enforcement Directorate has arrested Anwar Dhebar, brother of Raipur Mayor Aijaz Dhebar, and Arunpati Tripathi, a suspended ITS officer, in connection with a Chhattisgarh liquor scam generating over Rs 2,100 crore in illegal funds. Arrested multiple times, they are charged with orchestrating the scam under the Congress government.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has once again detained Anwar Dhebar, elder brother to Raipur Mayor Aijaz Dhebar, alongside suspended Indian Telecom Service officer Arunpati Tripathi in a money-laundering investigation tied to an extensive liquor scam in Chhattisgarh.

The arrests stem from last year's detentions of Dhebar and Tripathi, which were initially nullified by the Supreme Court due to procedural flaws. However, fresh charges were levied based on new evidence provided by the Chhattisgarh Economic Offences Wing and Anti-Corruption Bureau.

The scam, alleged to have occurred between 2019 and 2022, reportedly siphoned over Rs 2,100 crore from the state exchequer, enriching those involved in the illicit liquor trade. The ED claims Anwar Dhebar orchestrated the scam with influential state bureaucrats, positioning himself as the de-facto excise minister.