The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has been granted the custody of former Chhattisgarh IAS officer Anil Tuteja in connection with the liquor scam investigation, as per the court’s ruling. Tuteja will remain in ED custody for five days, until April 29, following his appearance in the PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) court earlier on Wednesday.
Initially, the ED had sought Tuteja’s custody on Sunday. However, due to the absence of the Judge at the PMLA court, Tuteja was remanded in judicial custody. Subsequently, during Wednesday’s court session, the ED sought a 14-day custodial remand, but the court granted only five days, directing the agency to produce Tuteja by 4 pm on April 29.
Tuteja’s arrest by the ED is based on multiple allegations outlined in a detailed 16-page arrest memo. The ED claims that Anwar Dheber spearheaded a syndicate in the liquor scam, with Tuteja allegedly benefiting significantly due to his influential position as Controller, thus being dubbed as the mastermind behind the scam.
Earlier this week, retired IAS officer Anil Tuteja appeared in court via video conferencing. However, the jail authorities cited inadequate security personnel as the reason for their inability to physically produce him in court. Meanwhile, the ED has commenced summoning individuals for questioning as part of the ongoing investigation.
According to the sources, Tuteja has penned a letter to Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, vehemently denying the accusations and asserting his innocence. He contests the ED’s claims, stating that he has been unjustly labelled as the mastermind without substantial evidence, which he believes contradicts the principles of justice.