ED Raids Ex-CM Bhupesh Baghel's Son in Chhattisgarh Liquor Scam Probe

Raipur: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday conducted searches at the residences of former chief minister Bhupesh Baghel and his son in Chhattisgarh’s Durg district in connection with the alleged liquor scam.

According to sources, ED officials carried out raids at 14 locations in the state, including properties linked to the former CM, his son, and other associates.

“The ED is conducting searches under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) at 14 locations in Durg district in Chhattisgarh on Monday in relation to the liquor scam. The premises are related to former CM Bhupesh Baghel, including the residence of his son Chaitanya and his close associates,” the ED sources said.

The ED sources further said that premises linked to one Laxminarayan Bansal were also being searched.

According to the ED sources, the probe agency has "gathered" that junior Baghel was the recipient of proceeds of the crime generated from the liquor scam, which reportedly involved the siphoning of approximately `2,161 crore through various illegal schemes.

The alleged scam happened in 2019-2022 when Mr Baghel was the chief minister of the state.

The ED alleged that a syndicate headed by Anwar Dhebar, brother of senior Congress leader and former Raipur municipal corporation mayor Aijaz Dhebar, and a retired IAS officer Anil Tuteja had created a parallel system of illegal liquor trade in the state, causing huge loss to the state exchequer.

Earlier, the ED arrested former excise minister Kawasi Lakhma, Anwar Dhebar, Anil Tuteja, and former IAS officer Arunpati Tripathy in connection with the case.

Reacting strongly to the raids, Mr Baghel linked the searches to his recent appointment as Congress in-charge for Punjab, asserting that such actions would not deter him from fulfilling his party responsibilities. He also claimed that the case had been ongoing for seven years and had previously been dismissed by the court.

The raids triggered a political storm in the Chhattisgarh Assembly, with Congress MLAs condemning the ED’s actions, calling it a “murder of democracy.”

In a dramatic turn, the ED team was reportedly attacked by a crowd while exiting Baghel’s residence. Officials were heckled, and protesters, including Congress workers, staged demonstrations against the searches. The car of a deputy director-level ED officer was also allegedly attacked.

The ED officials were heckled by some people who gathered outside Mr Baghel’s residence.

Mr Baghel later told the media that the ED team had recovered a cash of `32-33 lakhs and some documents during the search in his house that lasted nearly 10 hours.

The former chief minister, however, said that the cash recovered from his house was related to the agriculture and dairy businesses of his family.

Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Charan Das Mahant slammed the ED action, saying that his party would not be cowed down by such intimidation by the probe agencies.

State Congress president Deepak Baij accused BJP of doing politics through the probe agencies.