Chhattisgarh High Court Upholds ACB’s Actions, Rejects Vijay Bhatia’s Plea

The Chhattisgarh High Court has sided with the authorities in the ongoing probe into the multi-crore liquor scam, dealing a blow to businessman Vijay Bhatia. The court rejected the criminal writ petition filed by Bhatia. A division bench, led by Chief Justice Ramesh Kumar Sinha, heard the case on Thursday. Representing Bhatia, senior advocate Meenakshi Arora argued that the ACB had arrested Bhatia without first issuing a summons. The ACB’s counsel, Saurabh Pandey, countered, stating that the agency had interrogated nearly 300 witnesses and amassed substantial evidence. He also noted that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had handed over Bhatia to the ACB on May 31, 2025, and that he was presented before a magistrate in Raipur within 24 hours, on June 1. The court, after considering the arguments from both sides, dismissed Vijay Bhatia’s petition. Initial investigations suggest that Bhatia profited approximately 15 crore rupees from supplying liquor from a foreign company. It is alleged that he used the illicit funds to invest in property. Both the EOW and ACB are involved in the investigation. Vijay Bhatia is currently in judicial custody, and the investigating agencies are conducting their investigations.