ED files chargesheet against ex-CM Baghel's son in Chhattisgarh liquor scam

Raipur: The Enforcement Directorate on Monday filed a fresh prosecution complaint in a multi-crore 'liquor scam' in Chhattisgarh in a court and alleged Chaitanya, son of Congress leader and former CM Bhupesh Baghel, "handled" over Rs 1,000 crore worth of "proceeds of crime".

The 7,039-page supplementary prosecution complaint (chargesheet) was filed in the court of 6th district and additional sessions judge Damarudhar Chouhan in Raipur naming Chaitanya Baghel, a businessman, as an accused.

The alleged Rs 2,100-crore liquor scam took place when a Congress government headed by Bhupesh Baghel was in office in the state (2018-23).

The prosecution complaint was filed before the special court, in which Chaitnaya Baghel was named as an accused, ED counsel Saurabh Kumar Pande told PTI.

This was the fourth prosecution complaint filed by the economic intelligence agency in the case.

"A hard disc containing digital evidence and other proofs were submitted along with the prosecution complaint," he informed.

Chaitanya Baghel "handled" more than Rs 1,000 crore worth of "proceeds of crime" generated from a liquor "scam" in the state and used proceeds of crime for development of his business ventures, Pande alleged.

The ED has found "solid" evidence about the use of proceeds of crime worth Rs 22 crore allegedly by him, the counsel noted.

Chaitanya Baghel was arrested by the central agency on July 18 following a search at his house which he shares with his father in Bhilai town of Durg district.

Of the proceeds of crime handled by him, the businessman used Rs 16.7 crore for development of his real estate project, the ED had claimed in a statement earlier.

"Chaitanya was in receipt of proceeds of crime worth Rs 16.70 crore. He had used his real estate firms to intermingle the said funds. It was found that he had utilised the said cash amount (proceeds of crime) in development of his real estate project," it said.

In the past, Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel has alleged central probe agencies were being misused to target Opposition leaders, but stressed he trusted the judiciary and would cooperate with them in the investigation of the case.

The former CM has alleged the ED action against his son was initiated to divert attention from the "illegal tree felling" for coal mines in Chhattisgarh as the Congress was set to raise the issue in the state Assembly last week.

The premier financial crime agency has said the scam resulted in a "massive loss" to the state exchequer and filled the pockets of beneficiaries of a liquor syndicate with over Rs 2,100 crore.

The scam, according to the ED, was orchestrated between 2019 and 2022 when Chhattisgarh was ruled by the Congress.

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.

The EOW/ACB of the Chhattisgarh police registered an FIR on January 17 last year, about a month after the BJP defeated the Congress in the 2023 assembly polls, and named 70 individuals and companies, including former excise minister Kawasi Lakhma and ex-chief secretary Vivek Dhand.

According to the probe agency, the alleged commission generated through the illegal sale of liquor was shared "as per the directions from the highest political executives of the state".