Ex-Chhattisgarh Chief Minister’s Home Searched in Liquor Scam Probe

Bhopal, India – Investigators from India’s Enforcement Directorate (ED) descended on properties connected to former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel early today, as part of a widening investigation into a massive liquor scandal. The raids, targeting at least 14 locations linked to Mr. Baghel and his son Chaitanya, included their family residence in Bhilai, a city within the Durg district. Officials stated that the searches, conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), involved a detailed examination of several important documents.

Responding swiftly to the news, Mr. Baghel, a prominent leader from the Congress party, dismissed the action as politically motivated. He argued that the raid followed a court’s decision to throw out what he described as a baseless, seven-year-old case.

“Just after a court dismissed a false case of seven years, the ED’s ‘guests’ arrived at my Bhilai home,” Mr. Baghel declared. He suggested a political motive, questioning if the action was an attempt to weaken the Congress party in Punjab, calling it a “misunderstanding” if that was the intention.

The ED’s operation also extended to properties linked to individuals closely associated with Mr. Baghel’s son, Chaitanya.

The central focus of the probe is an alleged liquor scam that investigators believe drained a staggering 21.6 billion Rupees (approximately $260 million USD) from the state treasury. According to the agency, a criminal network illegally diverted these funds through various schemes operating within the state’s liquor industry. Investigators allege that Chaitanya Baghel personally benefited from the illegal proceeds generated by this elaborate scheme.

The ED’s ongoing investigation has reportedly uncovered that the liquor syndicate operated extensively between 2019 and 2022. During this period, they allegedly amassed substantial illegal commissions through multiple methods. These methods purportedly included taking bribes from distilleries for each case of liquor purchased by the state-run liquor corporation.

Furthermore, the alleged scam is said to have encompassed the sale of locally produced liquor from government-owned shops, with sales going completely unrecorded. The ED suspects that none of the revenue from these sales reached state coffers, with all funds being illicitly pocketed by those involved in the syndicate. Distilleries also reportedly had to pay bribes to maintain their position within a fixed-share liquor cartel, and commissions were allegedly levied within the foreign liquor market as well.

This is a developing story. Stay tuned With Us for further updates.