A special court in Raipur on Monday extended the judicial custody of Chaitanya Baghel, the son of senior Congress leader and former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, till August 18 in connection with a money laundering case linked to the alleged liquor scam in the state.
Chaitanya Baghel was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on July 18 after a search was carried out at his residence in Bhilai, which he shares with his father. His 14-day judicial custody, granted earlier, ended on Monday.
The ED sought an extension, which was granted by the court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), according to his lawyer Faisal Rizvi.
The federal agency alleged that Chaitanya was involved in managing over ₹1,000 crore of “proceeds of crime” generated through the liquor scam. It also claimed that ₹16.7 crore from these proceeds were used to fund his real estate project.
Bhupesh Baghel has strongly criticised the ED’s actions, alleging that central agencies are being misused to target opposition leaders. While he reiterated his trust in the judiciary and pledged full cooperation, Baghel also alleged that the timing of the ED’s actions was aimed at diverting attention from recent illegal tree-felling for coal mining projects which the Congress had planned to raise in the Assembly.
In protest against the ED’s action, the Congress staged road blockades (‘chakka jam’) across various parts of the state last Tuesday.
{{/usCountry}}In protest against the ED’s action, the Congress staged road blockades (‘chakka jam’) across various parts of the state last Tuesday.
{{/usCountry}}According to ED, the alleged liquor scam led to losses of over ₹2,100 crore to the state exchequer, benefiting a liquor syndicate that operated between 2019 and 2022 during the Congress government’s tenure.
Several high-profile arrests have been made in connection with the case. These include former minister Kawasi Lakhma, businessman Anwar Dhebar, ex-IAS officer Anil Tuteja, and ITS officer Arunpati Tripathi, among others.
The scam came to light after the Economic Offences Wing/Anti-Corruption Bureau (EOW/ACB) registered an FIR on January 17, 2024 , just weeks after the BJP ousted the Congress in the 2023 Assembly elections. The FIR named 70 individuals and companies, including former excise minister Lakhma and ex-chief secretary Vivek Dhand.
The ED has stated that the illegal commission from liquor sales was distributed according to instructions from the “highest political executives” of the state.