ED files FIR against three IAS officers and a Noida-based company in Chhattisgarh liquor scam

Investigations have revealed that the tender was awarded to a Noida-based company in an illegal manner. The IAS officers took 8 paisa per hologram from the company.

New Delhi/Noida:The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has lodged an FIR against five persons including three IAS officers of Chhattisgarh and two from a Noida-based company at Kasna police station in connection with an alleged scam of the state excise department.

The accused bureaucrats are special secretary excise Arun Patil Tripathi, excise commissioner Niranjan Das and retired IAS Anil Tuteja. The FIR has also named the company's managing director Vidhu Gupta and Anwar Dhebar.

The ED probe has revealed that a Noida-based company named Prism Holography Security Films Pvt Ltd was illegally awarded tender for supplying holograms to the excise department of Chhattisgarh. The company was not eligible to participate in the tender process but, the three senior officials of Chhattisgarh excise department in connivance with the owners of the company, modified the terms of the tender. Then, the tender was awarded to the company in an illegal manner. In return, he officials took a commission of 8 paisa per hologram.

The hologram is a security tag to ensure that certified liquor is sold in the state. But, the company made duplicate holograms at their factory in Noida and sent to Chhattisgarh. These were then supplied for illegally selling country liquor from government shops in the state.

During investigation, it was revealed that the accused bureaucrats provided details of the original and duplicate holograms to the company for supplying those to the state. The holograms were then transported by road to Chhattisgarh. It has also been found that the holograms were allegedly printed at higher prices than prescribed.