New Delhi: In a significant development in the multi-crore Chhattisgarh liquor scam investigation, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday arrested Chaitanya Baghel, son of former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel.
The arrest followed an early morning raid at his residence in Bhilai-3. Baghel was subsequently produced before the PMLA court in Raipur as the ED intensified its money laundering probe connected to the state’s liquor trade.
The arrest, notably coinciding with Chaitanya’s birthday, follows fresh leads obtained by the agency, which has been scrutinising a large network of government officials, businessmen, and political figures allegedly involved in siphoning off public money through manipulation of liquor sales and distribution during the Congress-led regime between 2019 and 2022.
Around 6:00 AM, ED officials backed by CRPF personnel arrived in three vehicles to carry out searches at Baghel’s residence. The raid is part of a broader investigation that previously led the agency to 14 locations across the Durg district in March 2025, including properties connected to Baghel and liquor businessman Laxmi Narayan Bansal (alias Pappu Bansal). That operation had resulted in cash seizures and the use of currency-counting machines, pointing to large-scale financial irregularities.
According to the ED, the scam resulted in a loss exceeding Rs 2,161 crore to the state exchequer. The alleged illegal syndicate operated through the Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation Limited (CSMCL), taking bribes from liquor distillers and awarding them market share in return. Off-the-books sales of country liquor through government shops, manipulation of FL-10A licenses for foreign liquor trade, and cartel-like market practices were allegedly used to launder massive proceeds of crime.
The ED has named several key players in the scandal, including Anwar Dhebar and former bureaucrat Anil Tuteja, with allegations also directed at former Excise Minister Kawasi Lakhma, who reportedly received regular kickbacks. As of now, assets worth Rs 205 crore have been attached in the case.
The Congress party has strongly condemned the arrest, labeling it a “blatant act of political vendetta.” Party leaders claim the BJP-led central government is misusing investigative agencies to target opposition figures and influence upcoming electoral outcomes in Chhattisgarh.
With political temperatures rising and further raids expected, the case is poised to become a major flashpoint in the state’s political landscape in the run-up to future elections.
