Bhupesh Baghel’s son handled Rs 1,000 crore proceeds of Chhattisgarh liquor scam, alleges ED

The Enforcement Directorate has alleged in a chargesheet that Chaitanya Baghel, son of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, was the “controller and ultimate authority” of an “organised liquor syndicate” in the state, The Indian Express reported on Tuesday.

The agency claimed it had established that Chaitanya Baghel personally handled about Rs 1,000 crore generated from the alleged scam.

The ED filed the chargesheet before the court of District and Additional Sessions Judge (VI) Damarudhar Chouhan on Monday.

On July 18, Chaitanya Baghel was arrested under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act following searches by the central agency at his home in Durg district’s Bhilai. An unidentified official had told PTI at the time that the arrest was based on the receipt of fresh evidence in the case.

In its chargesheet, the agency alleged that the syndicate was set up in 2019, when Bhupesh Baghel was the chief minister.

Indian Administrative Services officer Anil Tuteja and Anward Dhebar – both co-accused in the alleged scam who have been named in previous chargesheets – were chosen as the face of the syndicate to handle the day-to-day operations, the ED alleged.

On Chaitanya Baghel’s role in money laundering, the ED alleged that he stood at “the apex of this syndicate” and had a “commanding and decisive” role in handling funds,...

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