Bhupesh Baghel's son arrested by ED in alleged liquor scam

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday arrested Chaitanya Baghel, son of Congress leader and former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged liquor scam. Chaitanya was taken into custody from his residence in Bhilai after an early morning raid conducted by ED officials. The arrest marks a significant development in the ongoing investigation into alleged irregularities during the Congress government’s tenure under Bhupesh Baghel.
The agency alleges that a "parallel" liquor distribution system was operated, in which unaccounted liquor manufactured in distilleries was directly supplied to government-run shops without payment of the requisite duties and fees, causing substantial losses to the state exchequer. The ED also claims that a portion of the funds was laundered through real estate firms operated by Chaitanya Baghel and his close associates. The ED's money laundering case is based on a first information report (FIR) registered by the Chhattisgarh Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), which named 70 individuals and entities, including former excise minister Kawasi Lakhma, for their alleged role in corruption related to the state’s liquor policy.
Bhupesh Baghel said central agencies were being misused to target opposition leaders, but he trusts the judiciary and will cooperate with them. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted fresh searches at the premises of Congress leader Baghel as part of an alleged liquor scam linked to a money laundering investigation against his son Chaitanya Baghel on Friday, official sources said. Baghel's home in Bhilai town of Durg district, which the father-son duo share, was raided by the ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) following receipt of fresh evidence in the case.