ED arrests Chhattisgarh ex-CM Bhupesh Baghel’s son in liquor scam
In a major development in Chhattisgarh’s alleged multi-crore liquor scam case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday arrested former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel’s son Chaitanya.
He was arrested on Friday afternoon after the anti-money laundering agency conducted early morning raids at the former CM’s residence in Bhilai. Later, Chaitanya was sent to five-day ED custody by a Raipur court.
According to Baghel, the ED action came on Chaitanya’s birthday. In a series of cryptic posts on X, he “thanked" Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the “birthday gift" for his son.
“The kind of birthday gifts Modi and Amit Shah give cannot be given by anyone in any democracy of the world. On my birthday, both leaders had sent the ED to the houses of my adviser and two OSDs. And now, on my son Chaitanya’s birthday, the ED team is raiding my house," the former CM said.
Following the raids, the former CM’s office posted on X, “The ED has arrived. Today is the last day of the Assembly session. The issue of trees being cut at Tamnar for Adani was supposed to be raised today. ‘Saheb’ has sent the ED to the Bhilai residence."
The ED has alleged that a cartel comprising government officials, politicians and liquor businessmen operated a scheme that illegally collected around Rs 2,161 crore from liquor sales in Chhattisgarh between 2019 and 2022.
The alleged scam involved manipulation of the liquor supply chain, with the cartel controlling the sale and distribution of alcohol through government-run shops.
A portion of the liquor sold was not reportedly recorded in official accounts, and bribes were allegedly collected from suppliers to permit its sale outside the legal system.
The investigation is based on an earlier report of the Income Tax Department, which had flagged irregularities in the state’s liquor trade. Earlier, the ED had arrested several key accused, including IAS officer Anil Tuteja and liquor businessman Anwar Dhebar, the brother of Raipur mayor. The agency has also conducted multiple raids on politicians and bureaucrats associated with the former Congress-led government in Chhattisgarh.
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