Court sends ex-CM Bhupesh Baghel’s son to 14-day judicial custody in Chhattisgarh liquor scam

Raipur: A special court in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday remanded Chaitanya Baghel, son of senior Congress leader and former chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, to 14 days’ judicial custody in connection with a money laundering case linked to the alleged multi-crore liquor scam.

Chaitanya was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on 18 July after officials carried out searches at the residence he shares with his father in Bhilai town, Durg district. Following the end of his ED custody, he was produced before the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge (VI) Damarudhar Chouhan, said Saurabh Kumar Pande, counsel for the central agency.

ED alleges over ₹1,000 crore proceeds handled

The ED, in its statement, claimed that Chaitanya Baghel had “handled” over ₹1,000 crore in proceeds of crime generated from the alleged liquor scam in the state. It further alleged that he had used ₹16.7 crore of that money to fund the development of a real estate project through his firms.

“Chaitanya was in receipt of proceeds of crime worth Rs 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,” the agency said.

According to the ED, Chaitanya was interrogated and confronted with documents and statements during his custodial remand, during which he “conceded at many points”. As the agency said there was little left to interrogate, it requested judicial custody, which was granted until 4 August. The court allowed that further questioning could be conducted with prior permission.

Bhupesh Baghel alleges political vendetta

Former chief minister Bhupesh Baghel criticised the ED’s action, stating that central agencies were being weaponised to target opposition leaders. However, he said he had full faith in the judiciary and would cooperate with the legal process.

Baghel also alleged that the action against his son was timed to divert public and political attention from the ongoing controversy surrounding "illegal tree felling" for coal mining, a matter the Congress intended to raise in the state assembly last week.

The Congress party staged “chakka jam” protests across various parts of Chhattisgarh on Tuesday, denouncing what it described as politically motivated actions by the central government.

Background of the liquor 'scam'

The ED maintains that the alleged scam, which took place between 2019 and 2022 under the Congress-led government, caused significant financial damage to the state’s exchequer. The agency estimated that beneficiaries of the liquor syndicate pocketed more than ₹2,100 crore.

Several high-profile figures have been arrested in connection with the case, including former minister and Congress leader Kawasi Lakhma, businessman Anwar Dhebar, former IAS officer Anil Tuteja, and Indian Telecom Service officer Arunpati Tripathi.

The Economic Offences Wing/Anti-Corruption Bureau (EOW/ACB) had earlier registered an FIR on 17 January 2023, about a month after the BJP defeated the Congress in the state assembly elections, naming 70 individuals and companies. The list included former excise minister Lakhma and former chief secretary Vivek Dhand.

The ED claims that the alleged commission from illegal liquor sales was distributed “as per the directions from the highest political executives of the state.”

(With inputs from PTI)