(Image source from: x.com/bhupeshbaghel)
On Monday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids at 14 sites across Durg district in Chhattisgarh, including residences and various properties belonging to former chief minister Bhupesh Baghel and his son, Chaitanya. This action is part of a continuing investigation into the state's alleged liquor scandal. According to sources within the ED, Chaitanya is reportedly tied to the proceeds of crime derived from this fraud, with a shocking total of approximately Rs 2,161 crore having been embezzled through numerous deceptive schemes. Investigators now estimate the total impact of Chhattisgarh’s liquor scam to be around Rs 4,000 crore, as they pursue fresh leads. As the raids commenced, a statement was issued by the office of the former chief minister on the social media platform X, declaring, “Upon the dismissal of a baseless case that has persisted for seven years, today, officials from the ED entered the Bhilai home of former chief minister and Congress General Secretary Bhupesh Baghel this morning. If there are attempts to undermine the Congress party in Punjab through such tactics, then the misjudgment of the situation is clear.”
सात वर्षों से चले आ रहे झूठे केस को जब अदालत में बर्खास्त कर दिया गया तो आज ED के मेहमानों ने पूर्व मुख्यमंत्री, कांग्रेस महासचिव भूपेश बघेल के भिलाई निवास में आज सुबह प्रवेश किया है.
— Bhupesh Baghel (@bhupeshbaghel) March 10, 2025
अगर इस षड्यंत्र से कोई पंजाब में कांग्रेस को रोकने का प्रयास कर रहा है, तो यह गलतफहमी है.
-…
This operation occurs just weeks after the January arrest of Kawasi Lakma, the former excise minister of the state. The arrest triggered increased examination of Baghel and his family. A senior ED official remarked that the searches were aimed at properties and assets associated with Baghel, Chaitanya, and close associates of Chaitanya and Laxmi Narayan Bansal, commonly known as Pappu Bansal. The comprehensive search effort signifies a notable escalation in the inquiry, which has already implicated numerous high-profile individuals, including a former minister and several bureaucrats. Beyond various corruption cases in West Bengal and Jharkhand, the ED is probing at least three significant corruption scandals in Chhattisgarh — namely those involving liquor, mining or coal taxation, and paddy or PDS frauds. Furthermore, at least five senior IAS officers have been searched and arrested, along with a senior former minister implicated in these corruption investigations.
In 2018, two liquor companies engaged in the production and sale of foreign liquor within India lodged writ petitions with the state’s high court, claiming that the state's liquor procurement process was “arbitrary, non-transparent, and vague, having granted unfettered discretion in the procurement of liquor.” Subsequently, in 2023, the ED began its investigation into the Chhattisgarh excise or liquor scam. This investigation unveiled a network involving three distillery owners or distributors paired with certain government officials, which created an off-the-books loss to the government of around Rs 3,800 crore.
In the state of Chhattisgarh, liquor is sold exclusively through government-operated outlets, as there were previously no provisions for private establishments. Documents from the excise department, which were reviewed by News 18, reveal that there are 672 retail outlets in the state, generating daily cash sales ranging from Rs 28 to 32 crore on average. However, illicit liquor syndicates have emerged, distributing unregulated and unaccounted liquor throughout the region, reportedly facilitated by a network involving businessmen, politicians, and bureaucrats. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has detained Arun Pati Tripathi, the special secretary within the excise department, due to his allegedly modifying the liquor policy in favor of this nexus. Additionally, the ED has also interrogated senior IAS officers Anil Tuteja and Ranu Sahu, who are currently active in the state. As the directorate intensifies its investigation into this scandal, the political ramifications are expected to escalate, putting increasing pressure on the former Chief Minister regarding the extent of financial mismanagement during his tenure.
