In a dramatic development with far-reaching political implications, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Chaitanya Baghel, the son of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, on Friday.
The ED linked the arrest to a money laundering investigation into the alleged multi-crore liquor scam that reportedly unfolded during the Baghel-led Congress government’s tenure between 2019 and 2022.
ED officials arrested Chaitanya from the Baghel family residence in Bhilai, Durg district, after conducting a series of fresh raids under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
According to ED officials, the action was based on newly acquired evidence linking him to the scam. Central agency officers took him to Raipur for further questioning after the arrest.
The timing of the arrest, which coincided with Chaitanya’s birthday and the final day of the Monsoon Session of the Chhattisgarh Assembly, sparked a strong backlash from the Congress.
Former CM Bhupesh Baghel and party leaders accused the Centre of political vendetta and claimed it had motivated the action.
In a post from Bhupesh Baghel’s official handle on X, the former CM suggested that the arrest was strategically timed to disrupt the Congress’s planned discussion on alleged illegal tree felling in Raigarh, which was to be raised in the Assembly the same day.
As news of the arrest spread, Congress workers gathered outside the ED office in Raipur in protest. Leader of Opposition Charan Das Mahant led a walkout from the Assembly, declaring that the party would not bow to pressure from investigative agencies.
The ED alleges that between 2019 and 2022, a parallel and illegal excise network was operating in Chhattisgarh, facilitated by a nexus of government officials and private players.
The illegal network allegedly sold liquor off the books, causing the state exchequer a loss of over ₹2,100 crore.
While the ED has not yet officially confirmed Chaitanya Baghel’s involvement in the high-profile Mahadev betting app case, speculation remains rife.
The arrest is likely to intensify the political tussle between the ruling BJP at the Centre and the Congress in Chhattisgarh, with the latter vowing to resist what it calls ‘targeted harassment’.
As the ED deepens its investigation, it plans to make more arrests and trigger further political fallout in the coming weeks.
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