Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], July 30 (HBTV): Following the arrest of Chaitanya Baghel, son of former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao on Saturday stated that the people of the state were already aware of the liquor scam, and investigative agencies are now acting based on concrete evidence.

"The common people of Chhattisgarh knew that there was a liquor scam ongoing in the state. After learning about scams, IT and ED investigated the matter. The ED investigation is still going on. Action is being taken against all those people against whom evidence is coming out before the ED. This was a huge scam," Sao told reporters.

Earlier in the day, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi criticised the central government over the arrest, alleging it was a tactic to silence the opposition and prevent Bhupesh Baghel from speaking in the Assembly.

In a post on X, the Wayanad MP said, “The BJP government has dedicated all the forests of Chhattisgarh to Adani ji. The forests are being destroyed, blatantly violating the PESA law and NGT directives. Former Chief Minister Shri Bhupesh Baghel ji was about to raise this issue in the assembly. To stop him, the ED raided his house early in the morning and arrested his son.”

The Enforcement Directorate arrested Chaitanya Baghel on Friday in connection with its ongoing probe into the alleged multi-crore liquor scam in Chhattisgarh. The arrest followed raids at his Bhilai residence, which were part of the ED’s broader investigation into money laundering and financial irregularities.

Following the operation, Bhupesh Baghel’s office posted on X, “ED has arrived. Today is the last day of the Assembly session. The issue of trees being cut in Tamnar for Adani was supposed to be raised today. ‘Saheb’ has sent the ED to the Bhilai residence.”

This development comes months after the ED, in March 2025, seized ₹30 lakh from the residence of Bhupesh Baghel and his son. The day-long operation targeted 14 locations across Chhattisgarh and was linked to suspected illegal commissions and money laundering in the liquor trade.

The ED has claimed that Chaitanya Baghel was a recipient of proceeds from the liquor scam, wherein approximately ₹2,161 crore was allegedly siphoned off through a cartel of bureaucrats, politicians, and liquor businessmen.

Reacting to the latest action, Baghel’s office reiterated, “When the false case going on for seven years was dismissed in the court, today the guests of ED entered the Bhilai residence of former Chief Minister and Congress General Secretary Bhupesh Baghel this morning. If someone is trying to stop Congress in Punjab through this conspiracy, then it is a misunderstanding.”

According to the ED, between 2019 and 2022, a cartel controlled the supply and sale of liquor through government-run shops in the state. Portions of liquor were sold off-record, and bribes were allegedly collected from private suppliers. The case is based on an Income Tax Department report that initially flagged serious irregularities.

Several key figures have already been arrested in connection with the case, including senior IAS officer Anil Tuteja and liquor businessman Anwar Dhebar, brother of Raipur’s mayor. The ED had previously raided multiple locations linked to politicians and officials from the previous Congress-led government.

(ANI)