Supreme Court Grants Bail to Ex-IAS Anil Tuteja in DMF Case, Orders Him to Live Outside Chhattisgarh

Overview

• The Supreme Court bench, which ruled Monday, granted bail to retired IAS officer Anil Tuteja in the District Mineral Foundation corruption case.
• The order requires him to reside outside Chhattisgarh, share his new address with the Anti-Corruption Bureau and local police within a week, attend every hearing, and avoid any contact that could influence witnesses or evidence.
• The bench noted he has been in custody since April 21, 2024, that several co-accused are already on bail, and that a trial with about 85 witnesses will take time to finish.
• Prosecutors opposed bail, citing 2019 WhatsApp messages and calling Tuteja a prime conspirator in multiple state scams while alleging a risk of witness tampering in the DMF matter, which targets alleged rigging of a local development fund built from mining royalties.
• Tuteja’s counsel argued he is retired, has faced a pattern of fresh arrests as he secured bail in earlier cases, and had no role in awarding DMF works that lawyers said were issued by district collectors.