On Wednesday, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted searches at the residences of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel in Raipur and Bhilai.
Officials arrived at the locations early in the day to begin the operation.
Shortly after the raids began, a post from Baghel’s official X handle confirmed the development.
It noted that Baghel was leaving for Delhi to attend an important meeting.
“Now CBI has come. Former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel is scheduled to go to Delhi today for the meeting of the ‘Drafting Committee’ constituted for the AICC meeting to be held in Ahmedabad (Gujarat) on 8 and 9 April. Even before that, CBI has reached Raipur and Bhilai residence,” the post read.
His office team shared the post.
Reports suggest that the raids also extended to locations connected to Baghel’s close associates.
Around 7:45 AM, CBI officials reached the residence of Bhilai MLA Devendra Yadav in connection with the Mahadev betting app case.
However, the team faced resistance from Yadav’s supporters, who initially blocked entry.
Another CBI team visited the home of Vinod Verma, a former advisor to Baghel.
Details regarding the raids were still awaited, and an official statement had not yet been issued.
Earlier this month, on 10 March, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided 14 locations in Chhattisgarh’s Durg district.
The Enforcement Directorate linked the searches to Bhupesh Baghel’s son and others as part of a probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in the alleged Rs 2,161 crore liquor scam.
The ED had searched the home of Chaitanya Baghel, the former CM’s son, along with properties linked to businessman Laxmi Narayan Bansal, also known as Pappu Bansal.
Investigators claim Chaitanya Baghel was among the alleged beneficiaries of illicit funds.
In January, the ED arrested former Excise Minister Kawasi Lakhma, accusing him of taking Rs 2 crore per month in bribes and failing to act against the illegal liquor trade.
The agency also alleged that money from the scam, diverted into real estate, causing a significant blow to the state treasury.
That ED action had sparked protests by Congress workers outside Bhupesh Baghel’s home in Chhattisgarh.
The alleged liquor scam reportedly took place between 2019 and 2022, during the Congress-led administration under Baghel.
The ED has so far attached assets worth Rs 205 crore belonging to various individuals linked to the case.
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