ED raids Bhupesh Baghel's son, others in Chhattisgarh liquor 'scam'

The premises of Chaitanya Baghel in Bhillai and some other persons in the state are being searched under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA)

The Enforcement Directorate on Monday raided premises of former Chhattisgarh chief minister and Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel as part of a probe against his son in an alleged liquor scam linked to a money laundering case, official sources said.

The premises of Bhupesh Baghel's son -- Chaitanya Baghel -- in Bhillai and some other persons in the state are being searched under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the sources said.

Chaitanya Baghel shares the Bhillai accommodation with his father and hence the premises are being covered.

Some "links" have emerged between Chaitanya Baghel and the liquor syndicate and some others which are being probed, the sources said.

 

About 14-15 premises are being raided in the state, they said.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) earlier said the Chhattisgarh liquor "scam" resulted in "massive loss" to the state exchequer and filled the pockets of the beneficiaries of a liquor syndicate with more than Rs 2,100 crore of proceeds of crime.

The ED had arrested former minister and Congress leader Kawasi Lakhma in this case in January apart from 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 its investigation.

The alleged liquor scam in Chhattisgarh, as per the ED, was orchestrated between 2019 and 2022, when a Congress government led by Bhupesh Baghel rued the state.

The agency has attached assets worth about Rs 205 crore of various accused as part of its probe till now.

Congress slams the action

The Congress charged that the ED raids on the premises of former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel were a "conspiracy" to "manage headlines" on a day when Parliament's Budget session reconvened and the government faces questions from the opposition on multiple issues.

 

Baghel's office on his X handle said the "false case" against him is carrying on for the last seven years. He also said that no one will be able to stop the Congress in Punjab, where Baghel has just taken over as in-charge of party affairs.

 

"When the false case going on for seven years was dismissed in the court, today ED guests have entered the Bhilai residence of former Chief Minister, Congress General Secretary Bhupesh Baghel this morning. If someone is trying to stop Congress in Punjab through this conspiracy, then it is a misunderstanding," Baghel said in a post on X.

 

Congress' media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said in a video statement that the raids look like a "conspiracy" to manage headlines when the opposition is seeking to corner the government in Parliament over several issues.

 

"Today, when the Parliament session is starting, the BJP, which is cornered from all sides, got the ED to raid the house of senior Congress leader, Mr. Bhupesh Baghel ji, in order to change the headlines and divert the country's attention from tariff, falling economy, voter list fraud etc," he charged.

 

"The BJP should understand that it will neither be able to stop the Congress, nor any of our leaders. We are not afraid, nor will we be afraid," Khera said in his post on X.

 

In a video statement, he also said no one knows why the ED raid is being conducted against Bhupesh Baghel at his residence in Bhilai. A few days ago the court had cancelled a case against Baghel and now there is no case against him, he claimed.

 

The Parliament session is starting today and the BJP, which is cornered from all sides, is seeking to distract and indulge in some headline management, the Congress leader said.

 

"It is possible that is a conspiracy to that end. It is also possible that Bhupesh Baghel has started activities in Punjab where he is in-charge of party Affairs and thus is an attempt to disturb him in Punjab. But ED certainly is acting as an arm of the government and this will not be forgotten," Khera said