On 10th March, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided at least 14 locations including those connected to Chaitanya Baghel, the son of former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, in relation to the liquor scam that was connected to a money laundering case. The searches were conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) at Chaitanya Baghel’s Bhilai properties and at addresses connected to multiple other people in the state.
The Enforcement Directorate is conducting searches at the residence of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel's son in an ongoing money laundering case. ED is conducting raids at 14 locations in Chhattisgarh in connection with a money laundering…
— ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2025
The state exchequer suffered a “massive loss” as a result of the Chhattisgarh liquor scam, according to the agency, while a liquor syndicate reportedly embezzled more than ₹2,100 (₹2,161) crore through many schemes and the amount was also transferred to Chaitanya Baghel. Bribes were collected from the distillers for each case that the state liquor body purchased. The scam also included the selling of country liquor from state-owned stores, which went completely unreported.
“When the false case that had been ongoing for seven years was dismissed by the court, today, the officials from ED entered the residence of former Chief Minister and Congress General Secretary Bhupesh Baghel in Bhilai this morning. If anyone is attempting to stop Congress in Punjab through this conspiracy, they are mistaken,” Bhupesh Baghel’s office responded to the recent development on social media.
सात वर्षों से चले आ रहे झूठे केस को जब अदालत में बर्खास्त कर दिया गया तो आज ED के मेहमानों ने पूर्व मुख्यमंत्री, कांग्रेस महासचिव भूपेश बघेल के भिलाई निवास में आज सुबह प्रवेश किया है.
— Bhupesh Baghel (@bhupeshbaghel) March 10, 2025
अगर इस षड्यंत्र से कोई पंजाब में कांग्रेस को रोकने का प्रयास कर रहा है, तो यह गलतफहमी है.
-…
According to media reports, the findings of the probe indicated that distillers who were contracted to supply country liquor to government vendors reportedly delivered over 40 lakh cases of country liquor that were not documented in the books between April 2019 and June 2022. The agency revealed that not a single cent went to the state exchequer even though the liquor was sold to the general public for Rs 3,880 a case.
ED further stated that distillers were required to pay a bribe that enabled them to operate a fixed-market-share liquor cartel. Additionally, commissions were assessed in the overseas liquor market as well.
Several including veteran Chhattisgarh Congress politician Kawasi Lakhma, have previously been apprehended by the ED in the case. The accusations, on the other hand, have been rejected by Bhupesh Baghel, who has described them as politically driven. However, many accused have already been taken into custody regarding the case, including businessemen and bureaucrats.
