The Supreme Court on Monday refused to grant interim protection to former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel and his son Chaitanya Baghel in connection with the ongoing money laundering investigation linked to the multi crore liquor scam.
Digital arrest scams under SC lens: MHA forms high-level panel, seeks time to finalise action plan. (File Photo: IANS)
The Supreme Court on Monday refused to grant interim protection to former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel and his son Chaitanya Baghel in connection with the ongoing money laundering investigation linked to the multi crore liquor scam.
A Bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi directed the petitioners to approach the Chhattisgarh High Court for relief, instructing the lower court to consider Chaitanya’s anticipatory bail plea on merit and dispose of it expeditiously. The apex court also allowed the petitioners the liberty to file a separate writ petition if they wished to challenge the constitutional validity of Sections 50 and 63 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
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Chaitanya Baghel was arrested on July 18 from his Bhilai residence following a search operation. According to the ED, he allegedly laundered ₹16.70 crore through his real estate firms by routing unaccounted cash into formal banking channels. He was remanded to judicial custody, which was later extended until August 18.
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Investigators further claim that Chaitanya, in collusion with businessman Trilok Singh Dhillon, engaged in a fictitious flat purchase to legitimise ₹5 crore in cash. The ED has also alleged that proceeds from the state’s illicit liquor trade were funneled into the Congress party’s coffers through associates of the Baghel family.
Other high-profile accused include former IAS officer Anil Tuteja, excise official Arun Tripathi, businessman Anwar Dhebar, and former minister Kawasi Lakhma. The probe remains ongoing, with officials indicating the possibility of further arrests and disclosures.
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