Chhattisgarh ex-CM’s son sent to 14-day judicial custody in liquor scam case

Chaitanya Baghel, son of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, was remanded to 14 days of judicial custody on Tuesday by a special PMLA court in Raipur in connection with the ongoing money laundering probe linked to the multi crore liquor scam in the state.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had formally arrested Chaitanya on July 18 following a search operation at his Bhilai residence. He was brought to the agency’s Raipur office for interrogation and placed under a five-day custodial remand, which concluded on Monday. Upon the expiry of the remand, ED produced him before the special court seeking judicial custody.

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Political tensions have escalated following the arrest, particularly after ED’s official confirmation came four days later via social media. Former CM Bhupesh Baghel sharply criticised the delay and accused the BJP-led Central government of using federal agencies for political vendetta. The Congress, echoing similar sentiments, launched statewide protests terming the arrest a “politically motivated conspiracy”.

According to ED’s submissions in court, Chaitanya Baghel allegedly received ₹16.70 crore in illegal proceeds through complex financial structures involving companies such as Dhillon City Mall, Dhillon Drinks, and Baghel Developers. The agency claims he was a key beneficiary of the illicit revenue generated from the alleged liquor syndicate.

Statements from liquor trader, Laxmi Narayan Bansal, alias Pappu, recorded by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), further implicate Chaitanya. Bansal reportedly disclosed that over ₹1,000 crore was handled through unaccounted cash transactions under Chaitanya’s direction, including ₹100 crore handed over to KK Srivastava.

The ED also submitted digital communication between accused individuals, Anwar Dhebar, Dipen Chawda, Ramgopal Agrawal, and Nitesh Purohit, allegedly highlighting Chaitanya’s involvement in coordinating large-scale cash transfers and concealing illicit funds through proxies and business entities.

The liquor scam, estimated at over ₹2,000 crore, is one of the largest financial scandals in Chhattisgarh in recent years. The probe stems from an FIR registered by the state’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), which identified key officials and businessmen, including former Excise Commissioner Anil Tuteja and Excise Corporation MD A P Tripathi, as central figures in a widespread nexus allegedly responsible for systematic diversion of excise revenue through an illegal parallel distribution network.