₹175cr Rice Milling Scandal: Chhattisgarh EOW Files Charge Sheet Against Businessman's Aide

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RAIPUR: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Chhattisgarh Police has filed a supplementary charge sheet against Dipen Chawda, a key associate of businessman Anwar Dhebar, in connection with the ₹175-crore rice milling case. According to the EOW, Chawda allegedly collected nearly ₹20 crore from public servants, who were involved in the scam. The charge sheet was submitted in the Special Court (Prevention of Corruption Act) in Raipur on Tuesday. Chawda was arrested last month and has been named as a key aide of Dhebar, who is also a suspect in the case. So far, the EOW has arrested five people in connection with the case. The EOW's investigation revealed that Chawda had allegedly collected the ₹20 crore from public servants by exploiting a special incentive scheme for rice millers during the 2021-22 kharif marketing season. The scheme, which was in place during the Congress government led by Bhupesh Baghel, allowed rice millers to earn a special incentive of ₹40 per quintal of paddy, which was later increased to ₹120 per quintal. However, investigators alleged that CG-Markfed officials and district marketing officers, along with CRMA office-bearers, extorted ₹20 per quintal from rice millers by withholding incentive bills without justification. The case has been probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which detected illegal recovery worth around ₹140 crore from rice millers. The EOW's latest charge sheet is a significant development in the case, which has been under investigation since last year. The FIR was registered based on a report from the ED, which is probing the money-laundering angle. The case has raised concerns about corruption and money laundering in the state's rice milling industry.