Chhattisgarh liquor scam: ED secures 5-day remand of Chaitanya Baghel

Raipur, July 18 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday secured a five-day custodial remand of Chaitanya Baghel, son of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, following his arrest in connection with an alleged money laundering case tied to the state’s Rs 2,100 crore liquor scam.

Chaitanya was produced before a special court in Raipur, where ED officials cited fresh evidence obtained during recent raids at the Baghel residence in Bhilai, Durg district.

The court granted the agency permission to interrogate him at its Raipur office over the next five days.

The arrest, which coincided with Chaitanya’s birthday and the final day of the monsoon session of the Chhattisgarh Assembly, triggered a wave of political backlash.

Earlier in the day, the Enforcement Directorate conducted a fresh raid at the Bhilai residence of the Baghels, intensifying its investigation into an alleged multi-crore liquor scam.

A team of approximately 12 ED officials, accompanied by a heavy contingent of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, arrived at Baghel's residence in Durg district at around 6 a.m. This marked the second such raid in six months against the senior Congress leader and his family.

Soon after the raid and subsequent arrest, senior Congress leaders gathered at Bhupesh Baghel’s bungalow for an emergency meeting, while party workers staged protests outside the ED office in Raipur, accusing the Centre of weaponising investigative agencies for political retribution.

Leader of Opposition Charan Das Mahant led a walkout from the Assembly, declaring that the Congress would not be cowed by what it described as “tactical intimidation”.

According to the ED, the alleged scam operated between 2019 and 2022 under the Baghel-led government, involving a parallel excise network run by bureaucrats and private contractors.

Liquor was reportedly sold off the books, resulting in massive revenue losses to the state exchequer.

While speculation continues over Chaitanya’s possible links to the Mahadev betting app, the ED has yet to officially confirm any connection.

His arrest adds to a growing list of high-profile detentions in the case, which has already ensnared former ministers, senior bureaucrats, and businessmen.

--IANS

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