ED Arrests Bhupesh Baghel’s Son, Priyanka Gandhi Decries ‘Oppression’ Tactics

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Chaitanya Baghel, son of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, leading to strong condemnation from Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi. She accused the central government of using the arrest as a means to stifle opposition voices. Gandhi claimed the government’s actions are a response to Baghel’s plans to raise issues in the state assembly regarding the alleged handover of Chhattisgarh’s forests to Gautam Adani’s Adani Group. The ED’s action is connected to a probe into a multi-crore liquor scam in the state, involving allegations of illegal commissions and money laundering. The agency has alleged that a cartel of government officials, politicians, and liquor businessmen ran a scheme that collected approximately Rs 2,161 crore from the sale of liquor between 2019 and 2022. The investigation stems from an earlier Income Tax Department report that flagged irregularities in the liquor trade.