Chaitanya Baghel Arrested by ED on Birthday in Liquor Scam Probe

Former CM Bhupesh Baghel’s son arrested after raids at Bhilai residence; Congress alleges political vendetta over tree felling protest

On his birthday, Chaitanya Baghel, the son of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with an alleged liquor scam. The arrest followed fresh raids conducted by the central agency under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) at the Baghel residence in Bhilai, Durg district—shared by both father and son.

The ED claimed new evidence prompted the action, intensifying its ongoing probe into a major liquor scam that allegedly operated between 2019 and 2022 when the Congress was in power in Chhattisgarh. Chaitanya was taken into custody in the presence of a heavy police deployment and a crowd of supporters outside the residence. Congress workers raised slogans and attempted to block the ED vehicle, prompting the police to intervene and clear the way.

This is not the first time Chaitanya Baghel has come under the ED’s radar. He was also raided earlier this year on March 10. His name reportedly surfaced during the agency’s investigations into alleged kickbacks and unaccounted cash flows within the excise department and liquor trade.

Former CM Bhupesh Baghel took to social media platform X to link the arrest with political motives. He claimed the ED’s timing was suspicious, coinciding with the last day of the state’s monsoon legislative session—when the Congress planned to raise concerns about deforestation in Tamnar tehsil of Raigarh district, where a controversial coal mining project is underway. The mine has been allotted to Maharashtra State Power Generation Company Limited, with the mining operation contract awarded to the Adani Group.

Bhupesh Baghel had recently visited Tamnar and expressed solidarity with local villagers protesting against the large-scale felling of trees. His office accused the central agency of using the ED to suppress dissent and deflect attention from issues like environmental degradation and tribal land rights.

In his social media post, Baghel wrote: “Today is the last day of the Monsoon Session. The issue of tree felling in Tamnar was to be raised. But ‘saheb’ has sent the ED to Bhilai Nivas.” His remarks were widely seen as an accusation against the central government for using investigative agencies to settle political scores.

The ED’s probe into the liquor scam has already led to several high-profile arrests, including former Congress minister Kawasi Lakhma, Anwar Dhebar (brother of Raipur Mayor Ejaz Dhebar), former IAS officer Anil Tuteja, Indian Telecommunication Service officer Arunpati Tripathi, and others.

According to the ED, the alleged scam involved a parallel excise network operated by a syndicate of bureaucrats and businessmen who manipulated liquor distribution to avoid proper accounting. The scam reportedly caused losses exceeding ₹2,100 crore to the state exchequer. Over ₹205 crore worth of assets belonging to various accused have already been attached by the agency.

The original Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) filed by the ED was quashed by the Supreme Court in 2024, as it was based on an Income Tax Department complaint. Subsequently, the ED asked the Economic Offences Wing (EOW)/Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Chhattisgarh to file a fresh FIR based on new evidence. A new case was registered on January 17, naming over 70 individuals and companies, including former Excise Minister Lakhma and former Chief Secretary Vivek Dhand.

Congress leaders, including Leader of Opposition Charan Das Mahant, walked out of the Assembly in protest against Chaitanya Baghel’s arrest. Mahant stated that Congress would not be cowed by pressure from central agencies. Outside the ED’s Raipur office, Congress supporters staged demonstrations, calling the arrest an act of “political revenge.”

Speculation is also swirling around Chaitanya Baghel’s possible connections to the Mahadev betting app, although the ED has not officially confirmed this angle in the case.

The arrest marks a new chapter in a widening investigation that has already engulfed several senior politicians, bureaucrats, and businessmen. While the ED claims to be acting on evidence, the Congress maintains that the central government is using enforcement agencies to target opposition leaders and silence dissent—especially those challenging major corporate-backed projects and voicing support for tribal and environmental causes.