When the ED in its complaint had asked the UP police to investigate irregularities by a Noida-based company ‘Prizm Holography Security Films Private Limited’ owned by Vidhu Gupta for supplying duplicate holograms to the liquor syndicate allegedly being operated in Chhattisgarh, the neighbouring state of Jharkhand was not missing.

Chhattisgarh case was filed in the Kasna police station under the Greater Noida district on July 30. Jharkhand is learnt to figure in the eyes of the ED.

Based on a complaint of the Raipur-based deputy director of the ED the UP police on July 30 had booked Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Anil Tuteja, Indian Telecom Service (ITS) officer and a special secretary in the excise department, Arunpati Tripathi, IAS and excise commissioner Niranjan Das, a businessman Vidhu Gupta along with Anwar Dhebar, elder brother of the Raipur Mayor and congress leader Aijaj Dhebar.

As per the details of the (First Information Report) FIR seen by the Organiser the ED in its complaint stated that an investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act has revealed that one company namely M/s Prizm Holography Security Films Private Limited based in Noida was illegally granted a tender to supply Holograms to the Excise department of Chhattisgarh.

The company was not eligible to participate in the tender process but in connivance with the company’s owner the senior officials of the state of Chhattisgarh namely Arun Pati Tripathi ITS (Special Secretary Excise),  Niranjan Das (Excise Commissioner), Anil Tuteja IAS modified the tender condition and illegally allotted the tender to the M/s Prizm Holography Security Films Private Limited Noida.

As a quid pro quo they took a commission of 8 paisa per hologram and also took a commitment to supply unaccounted duplicate holograms to carry out a sinister crime of selling illegal country liquor bottles from state-run shops in Chhattisgarh. The hologram was in fact a safety feature to ensure that authenticated liquor is sold in the state. But the action of M/s Prizm Holography in manufacturing duplicate Holograms in Noida, allowed the Liquor syndicate to use the very same safety feature to fool the gullible general customers.

A similar process was allegedly followed in Jharkhand too by the same company M/s Prizm Holography which manufactured duplicate Holograms in Noida, allowing the Liquor syndicate to use the very same safety feature to fool the gullible general customers in Jharkhand.

This is estimated to have resulted in the loss of the Jharkhand state excise department’s revenue amounting to Rs 1200 crore.

Though the state government officials have preferred not to comment on this allegation, BJP state unit President Babulal Marandi had expressed apprehension that Jharkhand, like the Chhattisgarh liquor scam, had suffered from the liquor scam based on Noida-based Prizm Holography manufactured duplicate Holograms.