Raipur: Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel appeared at the PMLA court in Raipur today as his son, Chaitanya Baghel, was produced before the judge following his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Chaitanya was taken into custody earlier in the day in connection with the state’s multi-crore liquor scam.
According to officials, the arrest is linked to ongoing investigations into a ₹2,100 crore liquor money-laundering racket allegedly operating during the tenure of the previous Congress-led state government. The ED alleges that Chaitanya Baghel was a key beneficiary of the syndicate, which generated large amounts of unaccounted revenue between 2019 and 2022.
The arrest coincided with Chaitanya’s birthday, a fact that did not go unnoticed on social media. Speaking briefly outside the court, Bhupesh Baghel said, “This is a political vendetta. The BJP is targeting my family because they cannot fight me politically.”
Congress workers staged protests in Raipur and Bhilai, condemning the arrest and calling it an attack on democracy. The party has accused the central government of misusing investigative agencies to silence opposition leaders.
