ED Raids Bhupesh Baghel's Son, Others In Chhattisgarh Liquor 'Scam' Case

Raipur: The Enforcement Directorate on Monday raided the premises of former Chhattisgarh chief minister and Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel as part of a money laundering investigation against his son in the alleged liquor scam case, official sources said.

The premises of Bhupesh Baghel's son-- Chaitanya Baghel-- in Bhilai (Durg district), an alleged close associate of Chaitanya Baghel, Laxmi Narayan Bansal alias Pappu Bansal, and some others are also being searched under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the sources said.

Chaitanya Baghel shares the Bhilai accommodation with his father and hence the premises are being covered. He (Chaitanya Baghel) is suspected to be the "recipient" of the proceeds of crime of the liquor scam, they said. About 14-15 premises are being raided in the state, they said. The Congress said the raids against the Baghels were a "conspiracy" to "manage headlines" on a day when Parliament's Budget session reconvened and the government faced questions from the opposition on multiple issues. Soon after the searches, a number of Congress leaders and workers gathered outside Baghel's house in Bhilai. They staged a protest outside the house against the ED and claimed it to be a conspiracy by the Centre. ED earlier said the Chhattisgarh liquor "scam" resulted in "massive loss" to the state exchequer and filled the pockets of the beneficiaries of a liquor syndicate with more than Rs2,100 crore of proceeds of crime.