The Enforcement Directorate (ED) in India has arrested Anwar Dhebar, the elder brother of Raipur Mayor Aijaz Dhebar, for leading a criminal syndicate that illegally supplied liquor, collected, and laundered money worth Rs 2,000 crore from 2019 to 2022. Officials say that Anwar was backed by high-level political executives and senior bureaucrats. Aijaz has defended his brother, arguing that there is no evidence to support the allegations against him. According to ED sources, Anwar is not the ultimate beneficiary of the illegal scheme, as the money went to his political masters.
Investigations have revealed that an organized crime syndicate led by Anwar was operating in Chhattisgarh and that he had managed to get involved with the Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation Limited (CSMCL) with the support of political executives, and hired close associates to make the system completely subservient to him. This gave him control over the entire chain of the liquor trade, from private distillers to hologram makers. He leveraged his control to extort the maximum amount of bribes/commissions.
The ED investigation revealed that this illegal sale was almost 30-40% of the total sale of liquor in the state in the years 2019-2022, generating Rs 1,200-Rs 1,500 crores in illegal profits, and involving senior IAS officers and politicians. The ED arrested Anwar, who was remanded in custody for four days.
