Bhupesh Baghel’s son, Chaitanya Baghel, arrested by ED in liquor scam case

Former Chattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel says attempt to block questions on tree felling for mining

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) on Friday (July 18, 2025) arrested Chaitanya Baghel, the son of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, in connection with the money laundering probe linked to the alleged liquor scam in the State, said official sources.

He was arrested after fresh searches were conducted at the premises of Mr. Baghel in Bhilai town of Durg district, which the father-son duo share. The arrest was confirmed by ED sources even as visuals of sleuths taking away Mr. Chaitanya Baghel with them surfaced on TV channels. Congress supporters present there also tried to prevent the ED team from taking junior Baghel away by blocking the route of their vehicle.

“ED is conducting a raid at the premises of Chaitnya Baghel, son of former Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Bhupesh Baghel, in connection with liquor scam,” said an ED source earlier, even as a heavy security contingent was seen outside the Baghel residence. In March, too, the ED had conducted similar raids against Mr. Chaitanya Baghel and sources said that fresh evidence had been received in the case.

The ex-CM meanwhile has claimed that the raids were an attempt to stop him from raising the issue of tree felling for the Adani group in the State legislative Assembly.

“Today is the last day of the State legislative (monsoon) session. The issue of trees being felled for Adani in Tamnar was scheduled to be raised (in the House). Saheb has sent ED to Bhilai Niwas,” a message posted by his office on X said.

He was referring to the Tamnar tehsil of Raigarh district where villagers have been protesting against tree felling for a coal mine project in the area. The mine is allotted to Maharashtra State Power Generation Company Limited (MAHAGENCO), which has contracted the MDO (mine developer cum operator) to the Adani group. Earlier this month, the senior Congress leader had visited Tamnar and extended support to the protesters.

Later, addressing journalists he said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah had sent ED to his residence to “please their master”. He also alleged that Opposition leaders throughout the country were being targeted.

“On the one hand in Bihar with the help of Election Commission voters are being removed (from the voters list)..democracy is being stripped. On the other hand they are using ED, IT, CBI, DRI are being misused to suppress opposition leaders. But now our country’s people have understood and are well aware. ED has come in the past as well and raided my place and found Rs 33 lakh in my house. Now they have come again, what does this mean? We will fully cooperate....whether they trust or not we believe in democracy, judiciary. They (BJP) are misusing the agency but we will cooperate with them.”

He also noted that the raid was conducted on his son Chaitanya’s birthday, “Nobody in any democracy in the world can give a birthday gift like the one given by Modi and Shah.On my birthday, both the most respected leaders sent ED to the houses of my advisor and two OSDs. And now on my son Chaitanya’s birthday, ED team is raiding my house. Thanks for these gifts. I will remember them for life.”

The background

The alleged liquor scam in Chhattisgarh, as per the ED, was orchestrated between 2019 and 2022 when Chhattisgarh was governed by the Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress government. In 2024, the Supreme Court quashed the ED’s first ECIR (FIR) in this case, which was based on a complaint from the Income Tax Department. The federal agency later filed a fresh case after it asked the Chhattisgarh EOW/ACB to file a fresh FIR against the accused based on material shared by the anti-money laundering agency.

The EOW/ACB registered the FIR on January 17 last year, about a month after the BJP defeated the incumbent Congress government in the 2023 assembly polls, and named 70 individuals and companies, including former excise minister Kawasi Lakhma, former chief secretary Vivek Dhand and others. The ED had earlier told the court that the “scam” resulted in a “massive loss” to the state exchequer and filled the pockets of the beneficiaries of a liquor syndicate with over Rs 2,100 crore.

In a recent submission to the court, the EOW revised upwards the estimate of the loss caused to the exchequer due to the alleged scam, pegging it at Rs 3,200 crore.

(With inputs from Devesh K Pandey)