‘No offence under PMLA’, says SC, quashes liquor scam case against Chhattisgarh ex-IAS officer

The Supreme Court on Monday quashed a money-laundering case against former Indian Administrative Service officer Anil Tuteja and his son Yash Tuteja in the alleged Rs 2,000-crore Chhattisgarh liquor scam, reported Live Law.

The Enforcement Directorate had initiated proceedings in the case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act during the tenure of the previous Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress government in Chhattisgarh.

The central agency alleged that a syndicate comprising state government officials, politicians and other individuals had conspired to ensure that a state-run company procured liquor only from those who paid it a commission of Rs 75 per case of country liquor. It alleged that the syndicate pocketed more than Rs 2,000 crore that would have otherwise gone to the state exchequer.

Hearing the case on Monday, a bench of Justices Abhay Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan observed that there was no offence against Anil Tuteja and Yash Tuteja under the anti-money laundering law.

The top court said that the complaint on the basis of which the Enforcement Directorate initiated an investigation was based on an apparent offence under the Income Tax Act, reported Live Law.

The Enforcement Directorate’s first information report had also charged Tuteja and his son with an offence under section 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code. The bench, however, said that...

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