ED arrests ex-Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel's son in liquor 'scam' case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday arrested Chaitnaya Baghel, son of senior Congress leader and former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, in an alleged liquor scam linked money laundering case, official sources said.

He was taken into custody under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after fresh raids were carried out at his home in Bhilai town in Durg district. The father-son duo reside at the same place.

A heavy posse of police personnel was seen outside the house, even as some party supporters gathered.

The senior Baghel said it was Chaitanya's birthday today.

The sources said Chaitnaya Baghel was arrested under section 19 of the anti-money laundering as he was allegedly not cooperating during the searches that came about following receipt of fresh evidence in the case. He is expected to be produced before a special PMLA court in Raipur where the ED will seek his custody for interrogation.

Sources said companies allegedly linked to Chaitanya Baghel were the "recipient" of about Rs 17 crore "proceeds of crime" that were generated from the alleged liquor scam. Funds worth about Rs 1,070 crore are under the scanner of the agency vis-a-vis the role of junior Baghel, as per the sources.

The ED has claimed that the "scam" resulted in a "massive loss" to the state exchequer and filled the pockets of the beneficiaries of a liquor syndicate with over Rs 2,100 crore.

Bhupesh Baghel, 63, posted a message on X saying the ED has come to his home on the last day of the assembly session when the issue of trees being felled for a coal mine project of the Adani group in Tamnar tehsil of Raigarh district was to be raised. "Today is the last day of the state legislative (monsoon) session. The issue of trees being felled for Adani in Tamnar was scheduled to be raised (in the House). Saheb has sent ED to Bhilai Niwas," the message posted by his office said.

The senior Baghel earlier this month visited the tehsil and extended support to local villagers who have been protesting against tree felling for a coal mine project in the area.

The mine is allotted to Maharashtra State Power Generation Company Limited (MAHAGENCO), which has contracted the MDO (mine developer cum operator) to the Adani group.

The former CM also said central agencies were being misused to target opposition leaders, but he trusts the judiciary and will cooperate with them.

Congress MLAs also boycotted the proceedings of the Chhattisgarh assembly for the day as a mark of protest against the arrest and accused the agency of trying to harass the opposition.

The federal probe agency had conducted similar raids against Chaitanya Baghel on March 10.

In this case, the ED in January arrested former minister and Congress leader Kawasi Lakhma besides Anwar Dhebar, the elder brother of Raipur Mayor and Congress leader Aijaz Dhebar, former IAS officer Anil Tuteja, Indian Telecom Service (ITS) officer Arunpati Tripathi and some others as part of this investigation. The alleged liquor scam in the central Indian state, according to the ED, was orchestrated between 2019 and 2022 when Chhattisgarh was governed by the Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress government.

Assets worth about Rs 205 crore of various accused have been attached by the agency as part of this investigation so far. In 2024, the Supreme Court quashed the ED's first ECIR (FIR) in this case, which was based on a complaint from the Income Tax Department.

The federal agency later filed a fresh case after it asked the Chhattisgarh EOW/ACB to file a fresh FIR against the accused based on material shared by the anti-money laundering agency.

The EOW/ACB registered the FIR on January 17 last year, about a month after the BJP defeated the incumbent Congress government in the 2023 assembly polls, and named 70 individuals and companies, including former excise minister Kawasi Lakhma, former chief secretary Vivek Dhand and others.

According to the ED, the alleged commission generated through the illegal sale of liquor was shared "as per the directions from the highest political executives of the state."