The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has exposed a massive liquor scam in Chhattisgarh, implicating politicians and bureaucrats in a billion-rupee extortion racket from 2019 to 2023. The arrest of Chaitanya Baghel, son of former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, highlights the scam’s scale, with allegations of money laundering through real estate, including his Vitthal Green project.

The ED claims the syndicate, involving retired IAS officer Vivek Dhand, Anwar Dhebar, Anil Tuteja, and Arun Pati Tripathi, turned the state’s liquor trade into a corruption hub. The scam operated in three parts: a Rs 75 per case "commission" generating Rs 319 crore, illegal liquor sales via duplicate holograms netting Rs 3,000 per case, and a rigged foreign liquor licensing system earning Rs 211 crore. Over Rs 1,392 crore was allegedly diverted to political allies.

Key evidence includes Rs 5 crore funneled through a shell firm and cash payments for construction. A confessed operative, Laxmi Narayan Bansal, admitted handling over Rs 1,000 crore. The ED continues its probe as political fallout looms.

Also Read: ED Raids Ex-CM Bhupesh Baghel’s Home in Major Liquor Scam Probe!

Also Read: ED Raids Ex-CM Bhupesh Baghel’s Home in Major Liquor Scam Probe!