Chhattisgarh Liquor Scam: Supreme Court Asks Police Not to Take Coercive Steps Till August 21 in FIR Lodged in Uttar Pradesh
Three Chhattisgarh government officials, including two IAS officers, and others have been booked on charges of alleged cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy by police in Greater Noida in connection with the ED probe into the alleged liquor scam, officials said on July 31.
New Delhi, August 7: The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Uttar Pradesh Police not to take any coercive steps till August 21 in an FIR lodged in connection with the Enforcement Directorate probe into a money laundering case linked to the alleged Rs 2,000 crore liquor scam in Chhattisgarh.
A bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia made it clear that it is not impeding the investigation in the case. Three Chhattisgarh government officials, including two IAS officers, and others have been booked on charges of alleged cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy by police in Greater Noida in connection with the ED probe into the alleged liquor scam, officials said on July 31.
The FIR was lodged at the Kasna police station on a complaint from the Raipur-based deputy director of the ED, which is probing the scam. The apex court was hearing an application that claimed in order to circumvent the July 18 order of the top court, which had said that the concerned respondent authorities -- the ED -- must "stay their hand in all manner", the probe agency got an FIR filed in Uttar Pradesh. Rahul Gandhi Lok Sabha Membership Restored: Due Legal Procedure Followed After Receiving Supreme Court's Order, Says Government.
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S V Raju, appearing for the ED, claimed that some bureaucrats are involved in rampant corruption and are "minting money" out of the liquor scam.
"They are under the protection of the Chhattisgarh government," the ASG claimed. The counsel for the applicant argued that the issue of "duplicate hologram", which is sought to be raised in the FIR lodged by the Uttar Pradesh Police, was something which came to the notice of the ED much earlier and it was also a part of the counter affidavit filed earlier in the top court.
Raju said this is a different offence and the ED was duty-bound to bring it to the notice of a concerned agency. "On our query as to when these aspects came to the notice of the ED, ASG requests for a short accommodation to obtain instructions. List on August 21," the bench said. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the applicant, said there is "gross abuse and violation" of the apex court's July 18 order and the ED has got an FIR registered in Uttar Pradesh.
After the bench posted the matter for hearing on August 21, he requested that no coercive steps should be taken in the meantime. "The Uttar Pradesh Police may not take any coercive steps till the next date. Though, we are not impeding the investigation," the bench said.
"Suppose all this comes to your notice six months ago and you start it now, then there is a problem. Suppose, it has come to your notice just immediately and some processing time is taken, it is a different scenario," the bench told Raju.
The apex court on July 18 asked the ED to "stay their hand in all manner" in the money laundering case linked to the liquor scam in Chhattisgarh. It had passed the order while hearing the pleas, including the one filed by two Chhattisgarh-based people, challenging the proceedings initiated against them by the anti-money laundering agency.
While hearing the matter on May 16, the top court told the ED not to create an "atmosphere of fear", after the Chhattisgarh government had alleged that the probe agency was "running amok" and trying to implicate Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel in a money laundering case linked to liquor scam in the state. Manipur Violence: 42 SITs To Look at Cases Not Transferred to CBI, Says Supreme Court.
The Chhattisgarh government had earlier alleged in the apex court that several state excise department officials have complained that the ED was threatening them and their family members with arrest. The state has filed an application seeking impleadment in one of the petitions, claiming that 52 officers of the excise department have complained in writing alleging "mental and physical torture" by ED officers during the course of the investigation.
The ED had earlier told a court about an alleged massive scam in the liquor trade in Chhattisgarh perpetrated by a syndicate comprising high-level state government officials, private people and political executives that generated tainted money more than Rs 2,000 crore in 2019-22.
Chhattisgarh had become the first state to move the top court challenging the constitutional validity of certain provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) alleging that central investigating agencies are being misused to "intimidate, harass and disturb" the normal functioning of the non-BJP state government.
The Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress government has filed an original suit through advocate Sumeer Sodhi challenging the law under Article 131 of the Constitution which empowers a state to move the Supreme Court directly in matters of dispute with the Centre or any other state. The money laundering case stems from a 2022 Income Tax Department charge sheet filed in a court in Delhi.
The federal agency had alleged that bribes were collected from distillers in the state on a per liquor case basis procured from the CSMCL (state body for purchase and sale of liquor) and country liquor was being sold off-the-books.
According to the ED, bribes were taken from distillers to allow them to form a cartel and have a fixed market share.
(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)