Chhattisgarh High Court has granted bail to Chaitanya Baghel, son of former CM Bhupesh Baghel, in ED and EoW cases linked to the multi-crore liquor scam. The move comes amid ongoing money laundering and corruption investigations.
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RAIPUR: The Chhattisgarh High Court on Friday granted bail to Chaitanya Baghel, son of former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel, in two cases linked to the alleged multi-crore liquor scam in the State. The bail was granted in cases filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Chhattisgarh Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB)/Economic Offences Wing (EoW).
The orders were passed by Justice Arvind Kumar Verma.
The High Court allowed Chaitanya Baghel’s bail pleas in:
- The money laundering case registered by the ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), and
- The predicate offence lodged by the ACB/EoW related to alleged corruption and irregularities in the State’s liquor trade.
Both cases arose from allegations of a large-scale liquor racket that allegedly operated in Chhattisgarh between 2019 and 2022/2023, during the tenure of the Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress government.
According to the ED and State agencies, a syndicate involving politicians, excise officials and private liquor businessmen manipulated the State’s liquor policy, causing a loss of over ₹3,000–3,500 crore to the State exchequer.
The ED has alleged that:
- Chaitanya Baghel was at the helm of the liquor syndicate,
- He personally handled nearly ₹1,000 crore generated from the alleged scam, and
- He received at least ₹16.70 crore as proceeds of crime.
The ACB/EoW has further claimed that Baghel derived ₹200–250 crore as his share from the alleged racket.
The ED alleged that proceeds from the liquor scam were laundered through Baghel’s real estate project ‘Vithal Green’, operated by M/s Baghel Developers. The agency claimed that cash generated from illegal liquor commissions was routed through intermediaries and invested in the project to project it as legitimate income. Properties linked to the project were also attached during the investigation.
Counsel for Chaitanya Baghel argued before the High Court that:
- The prosecution was politically motivated,
- Arrests were made on template and stereotyped grounds, and
- Investigating agencies relied heavily on statements of co-accused without independent corroboration.
Earlier, the High Court had rejected Baghel’s anticipatory bail plea in the EoW case and upheld the validity of his arrest by the ED. Subsequently, Baghel approached the Supreme Court, where his challenge to the arrest and certain provisions of the PMLA is still pending.
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