Bhupesh Baghel's Son Chaitanya Arrested On His Birthday By ED After Raids At Bhilai Residence
Raipur: Chaitanya Baghel, son of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on his birthday (Friday, July 18) in connection with the ongoing money laundering investigation linked to the alleged multi-crore liquor scam in the state.
The arrest followed fresh raids at the Baghel residence in Durg district's Bhilai, which the father and son share. ED officials, backed by heavy security, carried out searches based on what sources say is new evidence received after earlier raids in March.
Baghel Alleges 'Adani Link'
The former CM has alleged that the raid was "politically timed" to prevent him from raising a sensitive issue in the State Assembly. “Today is the last day of the State legislative (monsoon) session. The issue of trees being felled for Adani in Tamnar was scheduled to be raised (in the House). Saheb has sent ED to Bhilai residence,” read a post shared by his office on X (formerly Twitter).
In another post, he wrote, "The kind of birthday gift that Modi and Shah ji give, no one else in any democracy in the world can give. On my birthday, both highly respected leaders sent ED to the homes of my advisor and two OSDs. And now, on my son Chaitanya’s birthday, an ED team is raiding my house. Thank you for these gifts. They will be remembered for a lifetime."
Have a look at his statement here:
Baghel was referring to the contentious coal mining project in Tamnar tehsil, Raigarh district, where local villagers have been protesting against widespread tree felling. The coal block was allocated to MAHAGENCO, which has appointed the Adani group as the mine developer and operator. Earlier this month, Baghel had visited the area to support the protesters, drawing further attention to the conflict.
Chhattisgarh Liquor Scam
The alleged liquor scam under investigation by the ED reportedly took place between 2019 and 2022, during the tenure of the Congress-led Bhupesh Baghel government. While the Supreme Court quashed the ED’s first complaint in 2024, originally based on an Income Tax Department report, the agency later asked the state’s Economic Offences Wing/Anti-Corruption Bureau to file a fresh FIR using materials it provided.
The EOW registered the new FIR in January last year, naming 70 individuals and companies, including former excise minister Kawasi Lakhma and former chief secretary Vivek Dhand. The ED has previously told the court that the alleged scam siphoned off over Rs 2,100 crore. In a more recent submission, the EOW revised this figure, estimating a Rs 3,200 crore loss to the state exchequer.
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