Former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel challenges ED and CBI’s powers in liquor scam probe after son’s arrest. Calls it political vendetta and seeks Supreme Court intervention.
New Delhi: Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and his son, Chaitanya Baghel, have approached the Supreme Court to question the legal power and role of central investigation agencies—the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)—in their ongoing probe related to a major liquor scam in the state.
They have asked the top court to clarify whether these agencies are acting beyond their authority under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and other related laws.
This legal petition comes at a time when political tensions are rising in Chhattisgarh. The matter is expected to be heard on Monday by a bench of Justice Suryakant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi.
The development follows the arrest of Chaitanya Baghel by the ED on July 18, 2025, which was also his birthday.
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The ED alleges that Chaitanya is involved in a massive Rs 2,160 crore liquor scam that reportedly took place when Bhupesh Baghel was serving as the Chief Minister.
According to the Enforcement Directorate, there was a parallel system of liquor distribution running in the state that caused huge financial losses.
The agency claims that this illegal network earned profits through unrecorded liquor sales and illegal commissions. Several politicians and bureaucrats have allegedly been involved in the scam.
Bhupesh Baghel has strongly criticized the arrest of his son and the raids conducted by ED at his home in Bhilai. He said the entire episode is politically driven and meant to silence political opponents.
He stated,
“The ED is being used as a tool to target opposition leaders,”
and referred to the arrest as a personal attack by adding, “birthday gift” from the Central government, making it clear that he believes the arrest of his son on his birthday was done intentionally.
Baghel further said this was
“politically motivated and designed to suppress dissent.”
The Congress party has shown full support for Bhupesh Baghel and has organized protests in many parts of Chhattisgarh, including Raipur and Jagdalpur.
Party members are accusing the BJP-led Central Government of using investigative agencies like the ED and CBI to harass and threaten opposition leaders.
On the morning of July 18, 2025, ED officials conducted raids at the Baghel family’s house in Bhilai, located in the Durg district.
After the raid, Chaitanya Baghel was arrested under Section 19 of the PMLA. The ED stated that his arrest was necessary because he was non-cooperative during the search.
This was not the first time the Baghel residence was raided. Earlier, on March 10, 2025, ED officers had conducted a raid at Bhupesh Baghel’s house.
Reacting to that raid, the former Chief Minister alleged that the timing was chosen intentionally to stop him from taking part in the state budget session.
He again claimed that the move was
“politically motivated and aimed at silencing opposition voices.”
Bhupesh Baghel also raised concerns about the fairness of the investigation. He mentioned that after the March raid, there was no official notice or inquiry sent to his son until the sudden arrest in July.
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This, according to him, brings up serious questions about procedural fairness.
The ED has accused Chaitanya Baghel of receiving Rs 16.70 crore in illegal money and claims that he played an important role in laundering over Rs 1,000 crore, mostly through real estate and other business channels.
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