ACB EOW Arrests Ex-CM Bhupesh Baghel’s Son Chaitanya in Liquor Scam

The Anti-Corruption Bureau and Economic Offences Wing (ACB/EOW) of Chhattisgarh arrested Chaitanya Baghel, son of former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, and another accused in connection with the alleged multi-crore liquor scam, officials confirmed Thursday. The arrests come amid ongoing investigations into widespread corruption during the Congress-led government's tenure from 2019 to 2022.

Chaitanya, already in judicial custody since his July 18 arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a related money laundering case, was produced in a special court under the Prevention of Corruption Act following a production warrant.

The court remanded Chaitanya and co-accused Dipen Chawda to ACB/EOW custody until October 6, allowing further interrogation. The ACB/EOW registered a first information report (FIR) on January 17, 2024—shortly after the BJP ousted the Congress in state assembly elections—naming 70 individuals and companies, including former excise minister Kawasi Lakhma and ex-chief secretary Vivek Dhand.

The probe alleges a syndicate orchestrated a Rs 2,500 crore scam involving commissions on official and illicit liquor sales, as well as quid pro quo bribes from distillers to form market cartels. Investigators claim proceeds were funnelled to then-government officials and the Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee.

Chaitanya's lawyer, Faisal Rizvi, condemned the arrest as a pressure tactic lacking evidence, noting his client's name does not appear in the ACB/EOW's main or supplementary chargesheets, which implicate 45 accused, 29 of whom remain unarrested. Rizvi highlighted that the arrest relies solely on a statement from accused Laxmi Narayan Bansal regarding Rs 1,000 crore in proceeds, despite the Chhattisgarh High Court rejecting Chaitanya's anticipatory bail plea. The same court has issued a warrant for Bansal, underscoring procedural inconsistencies in the case.

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The ED's fourth supplementary chargesheet, filed September 15, positions Chaitanya as the syndicate's leader, alleging he managed nearly Rs 1,000 crore in illicit funds and conspired in their concealment and use. Prior ED actions included raids on Chaitanya's Bhilai residence—shared with his father—and arrests of Lakhma, businessman Anwar Dhebar, former IAS officer Anil Tuteja, and telecom officer Arunpati Tripathi.

As the probe deepens, it exposes alleged systemic graft in the state's liquor trade, with authorities vowing comprehensive accountability regardless of political affiliations.

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