The judicial custody of Chaitanya Baghel, son of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, on Monday extended by 14 days in connection with the state’s multi-crore liquor scam. The special court’s decision marked the third extension of his judicial remand since his arrest last month. The matter will now be taken up again on September 1.
During the hearing, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed an application requesting five days of custodial interrogation, claiming that new leads had surfaced in the investigation which required direct questioning of the accused. However, owing to a condolence programme in the court premises, the plea could not be heard and has been scheduled for consideration on August 19.
Chaitanya Baghel was taken into custody on July 18 following an Enforcement Directorate search operation at his Bhilai residence and was subsequently arrested. According to investigators, he allegedly laundered around ₹16.70 crore through his real estate ventures by channeling unaccounted cash into the formal banking system. He was remanded to judicial custody, which has since been extended multiple times.
The arrest triggered a strong political reaction in the state. On July 22, the Chhattisgarh Congress launched a statewide “chakka jam” across all 33 districts, branding the ED’s action as a politically motivated move against the family of the former Chief Minister. With the next hearing set for August 19 on the ED’s plea for custodial remand, the case is poised to intensify, both inside the courtroom and in Chhattisgarh’s sharply divided political colosseum.