ED raids former Chhattisgarh CM Baghel's home in connection with case against son Chaitanya

Raipur, July 18 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday launched fresh raids at the premises of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel's son Chaitanya Baghel in connection with a money laundering probe against him, linked to an alleged liquor scam.

The ED is searching Chaitanya Baghel's house in Bhilai town, where he lives with his father Bhupesh Baghel, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) based on receipt of fresh evidence in the case, officials said on Friday.

As the ED went about its work at Chaitanya Baghel's house, ex-CM Bhupesh Baghel’s office in a post on his official X handle linked the timing of the central agency’s action to a political development, claiming that the sleuths were sent just hours before the Congress was set to raise the issue of tree felling in Raigarh on the last day of the Monsoon Session of the Chhattisgarh legislative Assembly.

This is not the first time that Chaitanya Baghel has come under the ED scanner.

The central probe agency had conducted similar raids against Chaitanya Baghel in March this year and it had said that he was suspected of being the recipient of the proceeds of crime from the alleged liquor scam.

The ED raids in the alleged liquor scam case are not Bhupesh Baghel's only run-in with central probe agencies, as the former CM was also raided by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the Mahadev betting App case in March.

At that time, too, Baghel had alleged that the raid was politically motivated and was coincided to time with the Prime Minister's visit to the state on March 30.

A few days ago, ACB and EOW carried out simultaneous raids across 39 locations linked to the Chhattisgarh liquor scam, including sites in Durg-Bhilai, Dhamtari, and Mahasamund.

These operations led to the recovery of Rs 90 lakh in cash, gold, silver, and various electronic devices.

In another operation, multiple teams arrived in Bhilai at around 4 A.M. in four vehicles and conducted raids at various private persons.

The ED is currently investigating the liquor scam, in which an FIR has been filed with the ACB, alleging financial misappropriation exceeding Rs 2,000 crore.

Findings from the ED's investigation suggest that during the tenure of the Bhupesh Baghel-led government, the fraudulent operation was designed by a syndicate of officers and private businessmen.

According to the ACB's ongoing probe, between 2019 and 2022, illegal liquor was distributed through government-run shops by affixing counterfeit holograms, resulting in a massive revenue loss for the state.

--IANS

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