SC pulls up ED for non-completion of probe in Chhattisgarh NAN scam

NEW DELHI —  The Supreme Court on Tuesday expressed displeasure over the non-completion of the investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Chhattisgarh’s alleged Nagrik Apurti Nigam (NAN) scam.

The NAN is the nodal agency in Chhattisgarh responsible for procuring and distributing food grains under the public distribution system (PDS).

A bench, headed by Justice Abhay S. Oka, was hearing a plea filed by the anti-money laundering agency challenging the grant of anticipatory bail to Anil Tuteja and Alok Shukla, the prime accused in the alleged scam.

The bench, also comprising Justice AG Masih, pulled up the ED for non-filing of prosecution complaint under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act against the accused so far in connection with the ECIR registered in 2019.

Responding, Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju said that the ED will place on record the available material.

The matter is listed in August for further hearing.

In the previous hearing, the top court recorded the statement made by ASG Raju that ED will place on record an affidavit in support of the contention that the facility of anticipatory bail granted to Tuteja and Shukl has been misused by them.

In 2015, the state government launched a probe into allegations that substandard quality grains were distributed under the PDS and that officials had received kickbacks from rice millers to allow this. In April this year, the Supreme Court had quashed a money laundering complaint filed by the ED against Tuteja and others in connection with the alleged Rs 2,000 crore liquor scam in Chhattisgarh, saying that provisions of the PMLA could not be attracted since there exists no prima facie scheduled offence under the Act.