ED arrests Baghel's son in Chhattisgarh liquor ‘scam'
RAIPUR:
Enforcement Directorate
arrested on Friday Chaitanya Baghel, son of former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel, from his residence in Bhilai after the agency conducted an early morning search at his premises in connection with an alleged Rs 2,100 crore liquor scam during his father's tenure as CM.
Chaitanya was presented at a special PMLA court in Raipur which sent him to five-day ED custody, an agency official said, adding that Chaitanya did not cooperate during the searches. The father-son duo stays in the same house, while Baghel also has an MLA residence in Raipur. When ED carried out searches, Baghel was at his Raipur residence and was proceeding to Vidhan Sabha.
The timing of the raid, on the last day of the assembly session, triggered sharp political reactions, particularly from the opposition Congress.
Bid to suppress debate on tree-felling: Congress
ED's early-morning raid and the subsequent arrest of former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel's son Chaitanya set off sharp reactions, with Congress alleging that the move was designed to suppress discussion on deforestation in Tamnar region of Raigarh district linked to a particular industrialist.
ED had earlier searched Chaitanya Baghel's premises on March 10 while probing some transactions allegedly linking him and his entities to 'proceeds of crime' in the liquor 'scam' case.
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The agency did not disclose details of the charges against Chaitanya, but in an earlier press note, it had claimed that some senior bureaucrat, having protection of 'top executive of the state', carried out the scam.
Reacting to the arrest, Baghel Senior said the Centre was misusing its agencies to target opposition netas. 'To please their master PM Modi and Amit Shah, they have sent ED to my house. We won't be scared or bow down,' he said.
He, however, said he would cooperate with the probe.
In this case, ED had in Jan arrested former excise minister Kawasi Lakhma; Anwar Dhebar, brother of Raipur mayor and Congress's Aijaz Dhebar; and senior babus, including IAS officer Anil Tuteja and a telecom service officer, Arunpati Tripathi.
After the arrest of Lakhma, ED had claimed that he was 'aware of the complete affairs of the liquor scam, yet he did nothing to stop it'.
The agency has accused Lakhma of receiving Rs 2 crore every month from the syndicate involved in illegal liquor trade.
ED had also said Lakhma played an important role in policy change, which led to the introduction of FL-10A licence in Chhattisgarh. 'He was an integral part of the syndicate and assisted it by manoeuvring the process and procedures as per their direction,' it said. The agency has so far attached assets worth over Rs 200 crore in the case.
Baghel later said, 'The adjournment motion moved by Congress in the Chhattisgarh assembly over tree felling being carried out by Adani Group in Tamnar was disallowed by Speaker Raman Singh. The opposition alleged that there has been no adherence to the PESA Act, no compliance with directives issued by the National Green Tribunal, and even the resolution unanimously passed by the state assembly has been disregarded.
Not even a discussion was permitted.'
Bringing an adjournment motion in the assembly, leader of the opposition Charandas Mahant and Baghel alleged in their speeches that 'Tamnar coal mine, which has been allotted to Maharashtra State Power Generation Company with its mine operator and developer being Adani, is being run solely for the benefit of a single industrialist, while local residents are being harassed and displaced'.
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