Chhattisgarh Liquor Scam: ED Searches 14 Locations Linked to Chaitanya Baghel, Son of Former CM Bhupesh Baghel

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday conducted raids at several premises associated with Chaitanya Baghel, the son of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, in relation to a suspected liquor scam in the state. The raids were carried out at 14 sites in Chhattisgarh as part of an ongoing investigation of money laundering in the case.

As per ED officials, Chaitanya Baghel has come out as one of the beneficiaries of the proceeds made from the alleged scam, which is estimated to have diverted about Rs 2,161 crore through various illegal schemes. The agency says it has collected evidence connecting him with the money-laundering issues in question.

“Our investigation has revealed Chaitanya Baghel’s involvement in the scam. Based on this evidence, we are conducting searches at his and other individuals’ premises,” sources from the ED told India Today.

The ED’s probe has uncovered what it describes as a sophisticated syndicate involving senior politicians, bureaucrats, and Excise Department officials.  According to them, this network ran a parallel excise system in Chhattisgarh, where unaccounted liquor was sold through government outlets without proper documentation, leading to massive revenue losses for the state.

The illicit operation reportedly used counterfeit holograms and bottles to circulate liquor outside the legal system. The ED claims that this scam was operational between 2019 and 2022, during Bhupesh Baghel’s tenure as Chief Minister under the Congress-led government.

Earlier, in July 2023, the ED had filed a prosecution complaint naming key accused, including Anwar Dhebar—brother of Raipur Mayor Aijaz Dhebar—former IAS officer Anil Tuteja, and Arunpati Tripathi, Managing Director of the Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation Limited (CSMCL). These people are charged with rigging procurement procedures and accepting commissions from liquor companies to make the scam possible.

The probe has resulted in the freezing of assets worth around Rs 205.49 crore of businessmen, ex-bureaucrats, and other people involved in the case.

Bhupesh Baghel, on the other hand, claimed innocence arguing that that the ED’s raids were “politically motivated”.

In a sharp escalation of developments, Congress workers began fighting and attacking police outside the house of former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel. 

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Reacting on the ED raids at Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel’s residence in Bhilai, Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai slammed the Congress party saying, “Everyone is aware about the scams that took place under the Congress government, and the central agencies are probing these scams. Several people are in jail, while some are preparing to go to the jail. The state government is not involved in this.”