The High Court conducted a hearing on Friday concerning the petition filed by Chaitanya Baghel, the son of former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, regarding the money laundering allegations linked to the Chhattisgarh liquor scam. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has submitted its response. In the next stage, both the prosecution and the defense will present their arguments in writing. The petition is under the purview of Justice Arvind Verma’s single bench, and Chaitanya Baghel is contesting the actions taken by the ED. The court has scheduled the next hearing for September 23rd.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has implicated Chaitanya Baghel in the liquor scam and money laundering case. It is alleged that Chaitanya Baghel received 16.70 crore rupees originating from the liquor scam. These funds were subsequently invested in real estate ventures. Furthermore, the investigation suggests that approximately 1000 crore rupees were managed as part of the scheme.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is actively investigating the Chhattisgarh liquor scam, and an FIR has been filed with the ACB. The FIR indicates a scam exceeding 3200 crore rupees, with several individuals named, including politicians, officials from the excise department, and business figures.
The ED’s inquiry uncovered that the scheme was executed during the tenure of the then-government through a syndicate that included IAS officer Anil Tuteja, MD of the Excise Department AP Tripathi, and businessman Anwar Dhebar.