Noida Special Task Force (STF) has apprehended Vidhu Gupta in connection with the Chhattisgarh liquor scam. Vidhu Gupta, the director of Greater Noida-based company Prism Holography and Security Film Private Limited, was taken into custody. The case was registered against these accused at the Kasna police station based on a complaint by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Accused list
- Niranjand Das, IAS, former Excise Commissioner, Chhattisgarh
- Arun Pati Tripathi, MD, CSMCL & Special Secretary (Excise), Chhattisgarh
- Anwar Dhewar, Political Figure
- Anil Tuteja, IAS, former Industries Secretary, Chhattisgarh
- Vidhu Gupta, Director, PHSF Private Limited, Noida
Allegations
According to the allegations, in Chhattisgarh, liquor bottles are being sold with illegal holograms affixed, a result of collusion between the liquor mafia and officials.
To ensure this sale, officials from the Excise Department and Arun Pati Tripathi, Managing Director of Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation Limited, allegedly altered the tender conditions to supply holograms from Prism Holography and Security Film Private Limited, Noida, on the condition that for each hologram supplied by Vidhu Gupta, director of the company, a commission of 8 paisa per hologram and supply of duplicate holograms for the sale of illegal liquor would be provided.
After winning the tender, Vidhu Gupta, as per the orders of CSMCL MD Arun Pati Tripathi, began supplying duplicate holograms to Chhattisgarh, starting the syndicate.
The gang members directly delivered these duplicate holograms to distilleries (Welcome Distilleries, Chhattisgarh Distilleries Limited, Bhatia Wine and Merchant Private Limited), affixed them on unaccounted part-B liquor bottles, and transported these bottles, bearing fake transit passes, to CSMCL shops in 15 districts of Chhattisgarh.
Employees of the company dealing with power supply to these shops were involved, who sold the unaccounted part-B liquor alongside original liquor.
The money collected by the gang members from the sale of unaccounted part-B liquor was collected separately. The gang was assigned the task of collecting cash, which was then transferred to higher-ups. Each member of the gang involved in this process had a fixed commission from bottom to top.
From 2019 to 2022, the gang supplied illegal unaccounted part-B liquor, which amounted to 400 trucks per month. Upon winning the tender for hologram supply to the Excise Department of Chhattisgarh, Vidhu Gupta allegedly paid a bribe of 90 lakh rupees.
