In Chhattisgarh, the Congress plotted to frame former BJP Chief Minister Raman Singh, his wife, and then-Principal Secretary Aman Singh in a fabricated case. OpIndia had revealed that the then Principal Secretary Alok Shukla and Anil Tuteja had concocted the entire game at the behest of Bhupesh Baghel. After the big expose by OpIndia, the BJP has called for the resignation of Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and also demanded action against the two officers.
Congress had alleged that the Public Distribution System was purportedly being used to distribute low-quality food grains in 2015 when Raman Singh was the Chief Minister of Chattisgarh in the BJP government. The party had also accused the BJP government of distributing sub-standard quality grains through the PDS, adding that officials were receiving kickbacks from rice millers to permit this.
Notably, the Nagrik Apurti Nigam is the nodal agency in Chhattisgarh liable for procuring and distributing food grains under PDS. Anil Tuteja and Alok Shukla were the main accused in the BJP government’s investigation into what became known as the NAN scam, which led to the arrest of 27 people. Later, the ACB launched a money laundering investigation as well. In 2015, a chargesheet was filed. After this, Congress came to power in Chhattisgarh.
Soon after the Congress party seized power in Chattisgarh, the main accused in the NAN Scam were promoted to prominent positions. Alok Shukla was appointed principal secretary in charge of the departments of education and others, and Anil Tuteja was appointed joint secretary in charge of the industries department.
Former minister and Chattisgarh BJP leader Rajesh Munat asserted that the Congress has been employing various tactics to trap its political adversaries through deceitful politics. He asserted that the two NAN scam accused are allies of the Congress government. They now act as administrative tools for the government.
Rajesh Munat added that when the NAN scam was allegedly taking place, Bhupesh Baghel, the then-president of the Chhattisgarh Congress, referred to Alok Shukla and Anil Tuteja as the two most corrupt officers. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed to look into the scam after Bhupesh Baghel took over as the chief minister, however, the people of Chattisgarh were never informed of the findings of the SIT.
Rajesh Munat added that Raman Singh, his wife, and the previous chief secretary Aman Singh had been named as suspects by Bhupesh Baghel’s administration, according to SIT chief GP Singh. GP Singh was put under pressure by being charged with conspiracy after he refused to comply.
In order to trap BJP leaders, he claimed, officers used to converse with them. This was directed by Alok Shukla and conducted by Anil Tuteja. Munat also asked Congress to reveal what connection it has with Alok Shukla and Anil Tuteja.
Exclusive WhatsApp chats accessed by OpIndia made the revelation
In February 2020, the phones of IPS Anil Tuteja and his son Yash Tuteja were confiscated by the Income Tax Department during its raids. The department has obtained vital information in chats with other officers of Tuteja on WhatsApp. This exclusive WhatsApp is also available with OpIndia. OpIndia has access to the chats between Tuteja and officials like SRP Kalluri, Indira Kalyan Elesela, GP Singh, and Arif Shaikh.
The chat’s conversations make it evident that Anil Tuteja and his son Yash Tuteja severely abused the state’s criminal justice system. Additionally, it is evident from the WhatsApp conversations how senior state IPS officers have turned into the assistants of the main accused in the NAN scam. The conversations show that Tuteja and State Principal Secretary Alok Shukla were working together to undermine Tuteja’s case and file cases against his opponents.
Numerous shocking details about the case were also revealed in the affidavit provided by IPS officer GP Singh, and in the WhatsApp conversation with Anil Tuteja. Anil Tuteja, his son Yash Tuteja, other senior police officers, and Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel allegedly colluded to furnish a hit list of political rivals under the direction of Alok Shukla.
Chief Minister Baghel was not only assisting Tuteja but was also trying to trap former Chief Minister Raman Singh, his family, former Principal Secretary Aman Singh and his wife Yasmine Singh, former DG (Police) Mukesh Gupta, Ashok Chaturvedi, and Chintamani Chandrakar and other officials.
On the 19th of October 2022, while the Supreme Court was hearing a case in connection with the NAN scam (Nagrik Apurti Nigam or Public Distribution Corporation scam) of Chhattisgarh, the Enforcement Directorate requested a transfer of the case outside of the state alleging collusion between highly placed persons to save the prime accused in the case, Anil Tuteja and Alok Shukla.
