Chattisgarh liquor scam: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided the house of former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Monday (March 10, 2025) in the money laundering case related to the alleged liquor scam in Chhattisgarh. During the raid, ED received Rs 30 lakh cash, pen drive and some documents.
The ED raided 14 places across the state in this case, including Bhupesh Baghel’s son Chaitanya Baghel and his close Laxmi Narayan Bansal (Pappu Bansal).
Attack on ED team
After the raid, reports of the attack on the ED team came to light. Congress workers surrounded ED officials, causing the police to intervene. The workers also threw stones at the ED car. It is being told that the car of the ED deputy director level officer was attacked, after which the ED is preparing for legal action.
Chaitanya Baghel summons, accused of scam of 2161 crore
According to the ED investigation, the state revenue department lost Rs 2161 crore due to the liquor scam in Chhattisgarh. Chaitanya Baghel has found evidence of getting money related to the scam, due to which the ED has summoned him for questioning on Tuesday. Illegal money withdrawn was manipulated through different schemes.
Bhupesh Baghel’s statement
After the raid, former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel called the ED’s action a political conspiracy. He said that ED is being used to intimidate the opposition at the time of elections. Baghel said, “I was reading the newspaper and drinking tea, then the ED team came. I told him that he was welcome and I was waiting for him for months and years. My wife, three daughters, sons, daughters -in -law, grandchildren and grandchildren live here. We do farming. We do farming on 140 acres of land in this joint family. We had the same as we had declared.
What is Chhattisgarh liquor scam?
Actually, Bhupesh Baghel became the Chief Minister after the formation of the Congress government in Chhattisgarh in 2018. The liquor scam was planned in the state from 2019 to 2022 and it was implemented. According to the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the entire scam took place under the government’s nose, in which illegal money was made from alcohol and the state’s revenue department suffered heavy losses.
How did the scam happen?
According to the ED investigation, illegal sale of liquor was done by planting fake holograms on liquor bottles. For this, the Tender was given to Private Hallography Security Films Private Limited, Prism of Noida, Uttar Pradesh. This company was not eligible to make holograms, but still a change was given in government rules and tendered. It was also revealed that the company was related to a senior bureaucrat of Chhattisgarh.
Who is arrested in this case?
In this case, IAS Anil Tuteja, Congress leader Arunapati Tripathi, and Raipur’s Mayor’s elder brother liquor businessman Anwar Dhebar has been arrested by the ED.
