Raipur (Chhattisgarh): Days after filing a fresh case, the Enforcement Directorate on Sunday arrested retired Chhattisgarh IAS officer Anil Tuteja in connection with an alleged RS 2,000 crore liquor-scam-linked money laundering case in the state. He was produced in the local court of law on Sunday afternoon and was sent to judicial remand for a day. He will now be produced in the court on Monday.
He was produced in the local court of law on Sunday afternoon and was sent to judicial remand for a day. The federal agency detained the 2003-batch officer from the Economic Offences Wing (EOW)/ Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) office in Raipur, where the Bureaucrat and his son Yash Tuteja had gone to record their statement in the same case. The father-son duo received summons from the ED at the EOW/ACB office to join the investigation and record their statements, following which they were escorted to the central agency's office.
The former IAS officer underwent interrogation and was taken into custody under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Tuteja was remanded in judicial custody by the court of Seventh Civil Judge (Class II) Ranju Vaishnav. The ED has sought his custodial remand for 14 days. Yash Tuteja was allowed to leave after questioning.
The ED initiated a new money laundering case in connection with the purported liquor scam after the apex court's recent dismissal of its previous FIR originating from a complaint by the Income Tax Department. The ED has estimated the purported 'proceeds of crime' in the case to be at Rs 2,161 crore.
Just before the apex court's ruling, the ED had shared details of its probe in the case with the EOW/ACB seeking registration of a criminal case. The ED registered a new money laundering case after filing an FIR. The EOW/ACB registered this FIR on January 17, listing 70 individuals and entities, including former excise minister Kawasi Lakhma and former chief secretary Vivek Dhand.
The bureaucrat retired from his service last year. His final role was the joint secretary in the industry and commerce department of Chhattisgarh.
