The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday conducted searches at the residences of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and his son, Chaitanya Baghel, in Durg district as part of an ongoing investigation into the alleged liquor scam.
Sources confirmed that ED officials raided 14 locations across the state, targeting properties linked to Bhupesh Baghel, his son, and other individuals allegedly connected to the scam. According to ED sources, “The ED is conducting searches under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) at 14 locations in Durg district in relation to the liquor scam of the state. Search premises are related to Ex-CM Bhupesh Baghel, including the residence of his son Chaitanya Baghel and also close associates of Chaitanya Baghel.”
Additionally, the premises associated with Laxminarayan Bansal were also under investigation, as per officials. The probe agency has reportedly uncovered evidence suggesting that Chaitanya Baghel was a recipient of illicit funds generated from the scam, which allegedly resulted in a ₹2,161 crore loss to the state between 2019 and 2022, during Bhupesh Baghel’s tenure as chief minister.
The ED alleges that a network led by Anwar Dhebar– brother of former Raipur mayor and senior Congress leader Aijaz Dhebar- along with retired IAS officer Anil Tuteja, had established a parallel illegal liquor trade system, causing substantial revenue losses for the state. Several individuals, including former excise minister Kawasi Lakhma, Anwar Dhebar, Anil Tuteja, and ex-IAS officer Arunpati Tripathy, have already been arrested in connection with the scandal.
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Reacting to the ED’s action, Bhupesh Baghel strongly condemned the raids, linking them to his recent appointment as the Congress in-charge for Punjab affairs. He asserted that such moves would not deter him from fulfilling his party responsibilities. “The case which was going on for seven years was dismissed by the court. But the ED has entered my residence to conduct searches in the case,” he stated.
The ED’s action sparked an uproar in the Chhattisgarh Assembly, with Congress MLAs staging protests, calling the raids a ‘murder of democracy’.