The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday conducted searches at the Bhilai residence of former Chhattisgarh chief minister and senior Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel, officials aware of the details said.
The ED has not officially disclosed the case under which the raid was carried out.
Baghel’s office linked the timing of the action to a political development, claiming the ED was sent just hours before the Congress was set to raise the issue of large-scale tree felling in Raigarh’s Tamnar tehsil on the last day of the monsoon session of the Chhattisgarh legislative assembly.
In a post on Baghel’s official ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) account, his office said, “Today is the last day of the assembly session. The issue of trees being cut for Adani in Tamnar was to be raised. Saheb has sent ED to Bhilai Niwas.”
Baghel shares his Bhilai residence with his son Chaitanya Baghel. The central probe agency conducted similar raids against Chaitanya Baghel regarding a money laundering case linked to the alleged liquor scam in March this year.
{{/usCountry}}Baghel shares his Bhilai residence with his son Chaitanya Baghel. The central probe agency conducted similar raids against Chaitanya Baghel regarding a money laundering case linked to the alleged liquor scam in March this year.
{{/usCountry}}The ED earlier said Chaitanya Baghel was suspected of being the "recipient" of the proceeds of crime from the alleged liquor scam.
It has been said that the Chhattisgarh liquor "scam" resulted in a "massive loss" to the state exchequer and filled the pockets of the beneficiaries of a liquor syndicate with more than ₹2,100 crore of proceeds of crime.
Bhupesh Baghel's house was also raided by CBI in another case
The ED raids in the alleged liquor scam case are not Bhupesh Baghel's only run-in with central probe agencies. He was also raided by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the Mahadev betting app case back in March.
Baghel alleged that the raid was politically motivated, suggesting that it was orchestrated to provide content for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech ahead of his visit on March 30.