A special court in Raipur on Tuesday sent Chaitanya Baghel, son of senior Congress leader and former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel, to 14-day judicial custody in connection with a money laundering case linked to the alleged liquor scam in the state.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Chaitanya on July 18, following a raid at his Bhilai residence, which he shares with his father. On the expiry of his ED custody, he was produced before the court of additional district and sessions judge (VI) Damarudhar Chouhan.
The ED counsel Saurabh Kumar Pande informed the media that during custodial interrogation, Chaitanya was questioned on various aspects of the case and was confronted with documents and statements. He reportedly made admissions at several points during the questioning. With no further interrogation required at this stage, Pande said, the ED requested judicial custody, which the court granted till August 4.
However, the agency retains the option to seek further interrogation with court permission, he said.
In its official statement, the ED alleged that Chaitanya “handled” over ₹1,000 crore in “proceeds of crime” derived from the liquor “scam”. The agency claimed that ₹16.7 crore of this amount was channelled into his real estate business. “Chaitanya was in receipt of proceeds of crime worth ₹16.70 crore. He had used his real estate firms to intermingle the said funds. It was found that he had utilised the said cash amount (proceeds of crime) in development of his real estate project,” it said.
{{/usCountry}}In its official statement, the ED alleged that Chaitanya “handled” over ₹1,000 crore in “proceeds of crime” derived from the liquor “scam”. The agency claimed that ₹16.7 crore of this amount was channelled into his real estate business. “Chaitanya was in receipt of proceeds of crime worth ₹16.70 crore. He had used his real estate firms to intermingle the said funds. It was found that he had utilised the said cash amount (proceeds of crime) in development of his real estate project,” it said.
{{/usCountry}}Reacting to his son’s arrest, Bhupesh Baghel alleged that central investigative agencies were being misused to target opposition leaders. However, he maintained his faith in the judiciary and assured full cooperation.
He further alleged that the action against Chaitanya was timed to divert attention from the contentious issue of illegal tree felling for coal mines in Tamnar, which the Congress had raised in the state assembly last week.
In protest, the Congress held a “chakka jam” (road blockade) across several parts of the state on Tuesday, accusing the BJP government of political vendetta.
The ED has claimed the alleged liquor scam led to a massive ₹2,100 crore loss to the state exchequer between 2019 and 2022, when the Congress government was in power. The agency asserts that the illegal liquor trade benefited a well-connected syndicate operating with political support.
The investigation has already resulted in several arrests, including former minister and Congress leader Kawasi Lakhma, businessman Anwar Dhebar, former IAS officer Anil Tuteja, and Indian Telecom Service officer Arunpati Tripathi.
The case stems from an FIR filed by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) and Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on January 17, 2024, shortly after the BJP returned to power in the 2023 assembly elections. The FIR named 70 individuals and companies, including former excise minister Kawasi Lakhma and ex-chief secretary Vivek Dhand.
According to the ED, the illegal commission earned through liquor sales was distributed according to instructions from the “highest political executives” of the previous government.