In a significant development in Chhattisgarh’s much-scrutinised liquor scam investigation, the Chhattisgarh High Court on Friday granted bail to Chaitanya Baghel, son of former chief minister and senior Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel. The relief comes in cases being probed by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED), marking a key moment in one of the state’s most prominent corruption cases.
The bail order was passed by a single bench of Justice Arvind Verma after hearing detailed submissions from both sides. Allowing the plea, the court directed that Chaitanya Baghel be released subject to statutory conditions. He is expected to walk out of jail after spending 168 days in judicial custody.
Chaitanya Baghel was arrested by the ED on July 18 last year from his Bhilai residence under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The ED’s case is based on an FIR registered earlier by the Anti-Corruption Bureau/EOW, Raipur, under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, in connection with the alleged liquor syndicate operating in the state.
Investigating agencies have claimed that the alleged scam resulted in substantial losses to the state exchequer, with proceeds of crime estimated at around Rs 2,500 crore. The probe, officials said, centres on irregularities in liquor procurement, distribution, and licensing, and the alleged laundering of illicit gains through multiple channels.
Reacting to the High Court’s order, Congress leaders described the decision as a legal relief. Party communication department head Sushil Anand Shukla said the verdict reinforced faith in the judiciary, adding that a detailed response would follow after studying the full order.
Legal experts, however, underlined that the grant of bail does not amount to a clean chit. The investigation and subsequent trial will continue, and the case is expected to remain under close public and political scrutiny. While the order offers temporary respite to Chaitanya Baghel, the outcome of the liquor scam proceedings is likely to have far-reaching implications for accountability and governance in Chhattisgarh.