Latest news with #ChaitanyaBaghel
India Today
6 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
Chhattisgarh liquor scam
IT'S THE GIANT-SLAYING phase, it seems, for the Enforcement Directorate (ED), after a long hunt for peripheral players. The latest arrest in what they're calling Chhattisgarh's own 'liquor scam': Chaitanya Baghel. The charges: acts linked to the sale of non-excise-paid liquor in 2019-22, when his father Bhupesh Baghel was CM. Besides causing a loss of Rs 2,200-odd crore to the exchequer, the ED alleges, Chaitanya's construction business netted in bribe money from liquor barons. In January, the ED had crested its previous peak in the case by arresting then excise minister Kawasi Lakhma, a Congress tribal MLA.
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Business Standard
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Bhupesh Baghel's son sent to judicial custody till August 4 in liquor scam
Chaitanya Baghel, son of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, was sent to judicial custody till August 4 by a special PMLA court in Raipur on Tuesday in connection with the alleged multi-crore liquor scam. He was produced before the court following the completion of his five-day custodial remand with the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Advocate Saurabh Pandey, representing the ED, said, "Chaitanya Baghel's custodial remand was ending today, so he was presented in front of the court today. As of now, he has been sent to judicial custody till August 4. In this money laundering case, if evidence is found against anyone else, they are summoned." Chaitanya's counsel, Advocate Faizal Rizvi, opposed the ED's request for judicial custody, alleging procedural lapses and suppression of facts by the agency. "His 5-day custodial remand ended today. ED has demanded 14-day judicial custody. We have raised an objection to have said that ED has suppressed documents and has presented false things in their have said that ED has made the arrest without letting us (Chaitanya Baghel) speak. This shows that the ED's action is biased and one-sided," Rizvi told reporters outside the court. Chaitanya was brought to the court under tight security. Former CM Bhupesh Baghel and Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring were present during the hearing. The ED sought 14 days of judicial custody, citing Chaitanya's alleged involvement in financial irregularities and the investment of illicit funds. Outside the court, Chhattisgarh BJP chief Kiran Singh Deo defended the ED's action and dismissed allegations of political vendetta. "If his son has been found involved in some scams that have occurred over the past few years, then the investigative agencies will naturally perform their duty. If you want to commit scams and then want no one to raise objections against it, then that's not possible... Instead of politicising this issue, they should reflect on their actions that led to this," Deo said. Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao also criticised the Congress party's state-wide economic blockade protesting the arrest, calling it a total failure. "Congress party's economic blockade turned out to be a total flop. People of the state, trade organisations, labour organisations and everyone opposed it. Nobody supported the economic blockade," Sao said. Referring to the ED's findings, Sao added, "ED has very clearly said that he invested Rs 16.70 Crores in his real estate company and was involved in a discrepancy of Rs 1000 Crores. Do not try to hide behind Adani when it comes to a corruption case. They did this economic blockade against the son's arrest. He has serious allegations by ED against him." Chaitanya Baghel was arrested by the ED on July 18. The arrest followed a raid in March, during which the agency recovered Rs 30 lakh in cash from the residences of Bhupesh and Chaitanya Baghel. The search operation, spanning 14 locations across Chhattisgarh, was part of an investigation into alleged irregularities in the state's liquor trade, including suspected illegal commissions and money laundering. According to the ED, Chaitanya Baghel is a recipient of "proceeds of crime" in the alleged liquor scam, where around Rs 2,161 crore was siphoned off through various schemes.
Time of India
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
BJP slams Congress' economic blockade as ‘leader-centric drama'; sparks fierce political row in Chhattisgarh
RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh's political landscape turned sharply confrontational on Tuesday as the Congress staged a statewide two-hour economic blockade to protest the Enforcement Directorate's arrest of Chaitanya Baghel, son of former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. While the Congress described the protest as a stand against the political misuse of central agencies, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hit back, calling it a desperate and leader-centric stunt aimed solely at protecting one family. State Finance Minister OP Choudhary escalated the attack, accusing Congress of hypocrisy and demanding explanations for decisions taken during Bhupesh Baghel's tenure on the coal mining project, which the latter had been objecting over. He cited a series of approvals granted by the Congress government for coal block project, including public hearings and forest clearances, questioning how the same party now protests against those developments. Congress protest held from 12 to 2 PM, attempted to block the movement of goods and commercial vehicles across the state. Emergency services such as ambulances and fire brigades were exempted. However, the Chhattisgarh Chamber of Commerce refused to support the agitation, citing the disruption it could cause to businesses. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo BJP MLA Ajay Chandrakar questioned the motives behind the selective outrage. He asked why similar demonstrations were not held when other Congress leaders like Devendra Yadav or former excise minister Kawasi Lakhma faced action. He claimed the blockade only underscored that Congress had become a party centered around one individual, lacking ideological consistency or concern for the public. He also criticised the Congress for misusing the Assembly platform, pointing out that the opposition boycotted three of the five days of the recent monsoon session, despite claiming to stand for public issues. Congress, however, hit back sharply and former MLA and senior leader Vikas Upadhyay accused the BJP of weaponizing federal agencies like the ED, CBI, and Income Tax Department to harass the opposition. He argued that any political force resisting the BJP's ideology faces raids, arrests, or fabricated cases. Upadhyay defended Baghel's five-year term as one of historic governance focused on farmers and the poor. With Chaitanya Baghel now in jail for 14 days as per the court orders on Tuesday, the arrest has deepened the already sharp political divide in Chhattisgarh. The BJP maintains that the investigation is being conducted lawfully, while Congress insists it is a part of a larger vendetta campaign. Chaitanya was arrested by ED on July 18 after a search at his residence in Bhilai and was produced at special PMLA court in Raipur for his alleged involvement in multi-crore liquor scam case. He was given a five-day ED remand and was on Tuesday sent to jail for 14 days.
New Indian Express
22-07-2025
- New Indian Express
Court sends Chaitanya Baghel, son of ex-Chhattisgarh CM, to judicial custody in liquor 'scam' case
RAIPUR: A special court here on Tuesday remanded Chaitanya Baghel, son of senior Congress leader and former chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, in a 14-day judicial custody in a money laundering case linked to the alleged liquor scam. Chaitanya was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on July 18 following a search at his house which he shares with his father in Bhilai town of Durg district in the state. The accused was produced before the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge (VI) Damarudhar Chouhan on Tuesday on expiry of his ED custody, the central probe agency's counsel Saurabh Kumar Pande told reporters. During his custodial remand, Chaitanya was interrogated and confronted with statements and documents during which he conceded at many points. There was not much left for interrogation so the ED requested the court for his judicial custody, he said. The court sent him to jail in judicial custody till August 4, he added. If required, he can be questioned by the agency with the court's permission, he said. The ED claimed in a statement that Chaitanya "handled" more than Rs 1,000 crore worth of "proceeds of crime" generated from a liquor "scam" in the state and used Rs 16.7 crore for the development of his real estate project.
Time of India
22-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel's son sent to 14-day judicial custody over alleged liquor scam
Chaitanya Baghel , the son of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Bhagel, was sent to 14-day judicial custody by a court in Raipur in liquor 'scam' case on Tuesday. The Enforcement Directorate alleges that Chaitanaya "handled" more than Rs 1,000 crore worth of " proceeds of crime " generated from a liquor "scam" in the state and used Rs 16.7 crore for the development of his real estate project. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Operations Management Project Management Product Management Degree PGDM Finance MCA Leadership Digital Marketing Data Science Design Thinking healthcare Public Policy Artificial Intelligence Management MBA Data Analytics Data Science CXO Others Technology others Skills you'll gain: Quality Management & Lean Six Sigma Analytical Tools Supply Chain Management & Strategies Service Operations Management Duration: 10 Months IIM Lucknow IIML Executive Programme in Strategic Operations Management & Supply Chain Analytics Starts on Jan 27, 2024 Get Details Chaitanya, who is a businessman, was arrested by the agency on his 38th birthday on July 18 from his residence in Bhilai's Mansarovar Colony on July 18, his 38th birthday. The arrest came after the agency raided the house, which Chaitanya shares with his father. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like JEE 2025 Toppers Guided by Narayana Narayana Group Read More Undo He was sent to ED custody for five days on the same day before being produced to the court today. "Chaitanya Baghel was in receipt of proceeds of crime worth Rs 16.70 crore. He had used his real estate firms to intermingle the said funds. Live Events "It was found that he had utilised the said cash amount (proceeds of crime) in development of his real estate project," the agency claimed in a statement. Bhupesh Baghel , a senior Congress leader, alleged that central agencies were being misused to target opposition leaders, but added that he trusted the judiciary and would cooperate with them. On Monday, the former CM said that the ED action against his son was initiated to divert attention from the "illegal tree felling" in the state as the Congress was set to raise the issue in the Assembly. The ED statement alleged that the use of proceeds was designed by way of "payment in cash" to contractors of Chaitanya's project, bank entries against cash, etc. The agency said the junior Baghel "colluded" with a local businessman named Trilok Singh Dhillon and "utilised" his companies to devise a scheme under which he "indirectly" received Rs 5 crore in the guise of purchase of flats in his "Vitthalpuram Project" in the name of employees of Dhillon. "There is banking trail which indicates that during the relevant period of transactions, Trilok Singh Dhillon received payments from the liquor syndicate in his bank accounts," the ED said. Further, the ED alleged that Chaitanya "handled" more than Rs 1,000 crore worth of "proceeds of crime" generated out of the liquor scam . "He used to coordinate with Anwar Dhebar (the elder brother of Raipur Mayor and Congress leader Aijaz Dhebar) and others for transfer of proceeds of crime to the then treasurer of the Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee." "Investigation conducted by ED has revealed that the funds out of this liquor scam were also handed over to key associates of Baghel family for further investments. The end utilisation of this fund is being probed further," it said. The agency said that the alleged scam has paved way to a "massive loss" to the state exchequer and filled the pockets of the beneficiaries of a liquor syndicate with over Rs 2,100 crore. According to ED, the alleged scam was done between 2019 and 2022 when Chhattisgarh was governed by the Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress government. The ED in January arrested former minister and Congress leader Kawasi Lakhma, besides Anwar Dhebar, former IAS officer Anil Tuteja, Indian Telecom Service (ITS) officer Arunpati Tripathi and some others as part of their investigations in the case. An FIR was registered by the EOW/ACB on January 17 last year, about a month after the BJP defeated the incumbent Congress government in the 2023 assembly polls, and named 70 individuals and companies, including former excise minister Kawasi Lakhma and former chief secretary Vivek Dhand. According to the ED, the alleged commission generated through the illegal sale of liquor was shared "as per the directions from the highest political executives of the state".
