'Conspiracy To Stop Congress In Punjab': ED Searches Homes Of Former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel, Son In Liquor Scam Case

On Monday (10 March), the Enforcement Directorate (ED) undertook searches at 14 sites within the Durg district of Chhattisgarh. These locations included the homes of former chief minister Bhupesh Baghel and his son, as part of an investigation into a suspected liquor scam.

“Search premises are related to former CM Bhupesh Baghel, including the residence of his son Chaitanya Baghel, and also close associates of Chaitanya Baghel,” ED sources were quoted as saying by Indian Express.

Sources have informed the ED that Chaitanya Baghel is suspected of obtaining profits derived from the illegal activities associated with the liquor scam. The premises of one Laxmi Narayan Bansal were also searched.

The accusation states that during the former Congress government's tenure in Chhattisgarh from 2018 to 2023, a substantial amount of Rs 2,161 crore was illicitly diverted through different schemes under the scam.

Shortly after the investigations began on Monday, a statement was issued from Baghel's official X social media account alleging that the move was part of a scheme to prevent Baghel from carrying out his party duties in Punjab.

The statement said, “While the false case going on for seven years was dismissed in court, today ED guests have entered the Bhilai residence of former Chief Minister, Congress General Secretary Bhupesh Baghel this morning. If someone is trying to stop Congress in Punjab with this conspiracy, then it is a misunderstanding.”

A source close to Baghel has revealed that he has also had meetings with Punjab leaders while in Delhi and plans to increase his visits to Punjab in the future.

The Case So Far

In January of the previous year, the ED filed an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) against the suspected orchestrator of the liquor scam, Anwar Dhebar.

Dhebar, who is the sibling of Raipur's mayor, Aijaz Dhebar, along with retired IAS officer Anil Tuteja, who was the joint secretary in Chhattisgarh at the time, ITS Arun Pati Tripathi, the then Special Secretary of the Government Commerce and Industry Department and the Managing Director of CG State Marketing Corporation Ltd, and others were implicated.

They were accused of collecting illegal commissions and supplying undocumented liquor to government-run liquor stores, allegedly causing an estimated loss of Rs 2,161 crore to the state government.

In January, the ED detained Kawasi Lakhma, the former excise minister, aged 67, due to his supposed involvement in the fraud. ED's lawyer, Saurabh Kumar Pandey, informed the court that Lakhma allegedly acquired Rs 72 crore from the scam, some of which he used to construct an office for the Congress party and a house for his son.