The Supreme Court on Monday granted bail to retired Chhattisgarh-cadre IAS officer Anil Tuteja in connection with a corruption case involving alleged irregularities in the District Mineral Fund (DMF). Delivering the order, the apex court cited Tuteja’s prolonged detention and the expected delay in completing the trial.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi took note of the fact that the former bureaucrat has been in jail since January 24, 2024, across various corruption cases. While granting him relief, the court imposed strict conditions, directing Tuteja to remain outside the state of Chhattisgarh.
The Supreme Court bench emphasized that while the corruption charges against Tuteja are serious, they remain a matter for the trial to decide. The case is currently at the stage where prosecution witnesses are scheduled to be examined.
“The accused was arrested on 21 April 2024 and is in custody. The co-accused persons are already on bail. About 85 witnesses are sought to be examined against the petitioner. The conclusion of the trial is likely to take time,” the bench observed.
Considering the length of custody and the inevitable trial delays, the court deemed it appropriate to grant bail.
Tuteja stands accused of receiving substantial bribes to award lucrative contracts under the DMF during his tenure as Joint Director in the Chhattisgarh Department of Industries.
Senior advocate Shoeb Alam, representing the retired bureaucrat, submitted that Tuteja was formally arrested in this specific DMF case on February 23, 2026. Alam argued that Tuteja has already been granted bail in six other corruption cases, making the DMF matter the final case keeping him in custody. The defense further emphasized that because Tuteja is now retired, he is not in a position to influence the trial or the witnesses.
The bail plea faced strong opposition from Chhattisgarh’s Additional Advocate General, Ravi Sharma, who labeled Tuteja the “prime conspirator” in several state scams.
During the hearing, Sharma produced purported WhatsApp chats from 2019, alleging they showed Tuteja discussing his release in the separate NAN scam case while that trial was still active. “In that instance, witnesses turned hostile,” Sharma argued, urging the court to look at the chats.
However, the defense countered that these years-old allegations had no bearing on the current DMF proceedings. The bench agreed, dismissing the relevance of the 2019 messages to the current case.
“These statements are from 2019. What is the relevance here? He was talking with the Advocate General etc… We cannot comment on this. It is a matter of trial,” Chief Justice Surya Kant remarked before granting the former IAS officer bail.
