The High Court heard the petition filed by Chaitanya Baghel, son of former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, on Friday, concerning the Chhattisgarh liquor scam and money laundering case. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has concluded its response. The next phase of the legal proceedings will involve both sides submitting written arguments. The petition is being heard by Justice Arvind Verma’s single bench, where Chaitanya Baghel is challenging the ED’s actions. The date for the subsequent hearing has been set for September 23rd.
The ED has named Chaitanya Baghel as an accused in the ongoing investigation into the liquor scam and associated money laundering activities. The allegations suggest that Chaitanya Baghel received 16.70 crore rupees, which were derived from the liquor scam’s illicit funds. These funds were reportedly channeled into real estate projects and a sum of approximately 1000 crore rupees was processed.
The ED’s probe into the Chhattisgarh liquor scam has led to an FIR being lodged with the ACB. The FIR details a scam valued at more than 3200 crore rupees and names various individuals, including politicians, excise department officials, and business entities.
The ED’s investigations revealed that the scam was carried out through a syndicate involving IAS officer Anil Tuteja, Excise Department MD AP Tripathi, and businessman Anwar Dhebar, during the previous government’s tenure.