The Supreme Court of India will hear over 40 petitions linked to the Chhattisgarh liquor scam on January 28, including multiple bail pleas. The hearing will also cover the Enforcement Directorate’s challenge to the bail granted to Chaitanya Baghel.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday postponed the hearing of more than 40 petitions connected with the alleged Chhattisgarh liquor scam cases to January 28. These petitions include bail applications filed by several accused persons as well as pleas moved by investigating agencies.
The apex court also said that it will hear a plea filed by the Enforcement Directorate challenging the bail granted to Chaitanya Baghel, who is the son of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel, on the same date.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice Vipul Pancholi issued notice to the Chhattisgarh government and the probe agencies on a separate plea filed by former bureaucrat Saumya Chaurasia.
Saumya Chaurasia is a Chhattisgarh-cadre civil servant who earlier served as Deputy Secretary and Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the office of former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel.
Although she had already been granted bail by the Supreme Court in the coal levy scam case, she was later re-arrested by the probe agencies in connection with the liquor scam cases.
Appearing for Chaurasia, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi strongly criticised the repeated arrests and told the court,
“This is forever evergreening of the FIRs and complete overreach of the Supreme Court. Every time the Supreme Court grants bail, she is arrested. Every time…”.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who is also representing Chaurasia and several other accused persons, further pointed out,
“Though the allegations against her and the material remain the same since 2019,”.
After hearing the submissions, the bench simply stated, “Issue notice,” and directed the matter to be listed along with other connected cases.
However, the court did not issue notice on the separate plea filed by the Enforcement Directorate challenging the bail granted to Chaitanya Baghel. The bench clarified that it would still take up the ED’s challenge and other related matters on January 28.
The Supreme Court also said that it would hear the bail plea of former Chhattisgarh excise minister Kawasi Lakhma in the alleged liquor scam on the same date. In total, more than 40 petitions filed by accused persons as well as investigating agencies were listed before the court on Tuesday.
Earlier, on January 2, the Chhattisgarh High Court had granted bail to Chaitanya Baghel in two cases linked to the alleged liquor scam. A single bench of Justice Arvind Kumar Verma allowed his bail pleas in a case registered by the Enforcement Directorate and another case lodged by the Chhattisgarh Anti-Corruption Bureau and Economic Offences Wing.
The Enforcement Directorate had arrested Chaitanya Baghel on July 18 last year as part of its money-laundering investigation into the alleged scam. Later, on September 24, while he was still in judicial custody, the ACB/EOW formally arrested him in its own corruption case linked to the same matter.
According to the Enforcement Directorate, the alleged liquor “scam” took place between 2019 and 2022, during the period when Chhattisgarh was governed by the Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress government. The central agency has claimed that the scam caused a “massive loss” to the state exchequer and benefited a liquor syndicate operating in the state.
The ED has further alleged that Chaitanya Baghel was at the top of the syndicate behind the scam and personally handled nearly Rs 1,000 crore generated from the illegal activities.
On the other hand, the ACB/EOW has claimed that Chaitanya Baghel, along with others, managed the proceeds of crime at a higher level and received around Rs 200 to Rs 250 crore as his share.
The state agency has also alleged that the total proceeds of crime connected with the liquor scam could exceed Rs 3,500 crore.
In December last year, the Enforcement Directorate filed its final prosecution complaint in the Chhattisgarh liquor scam case, naming 59 additional accused persons. With this filing, the total number of accused in the money-laundering case has now gone up to 81.
The prosecution complaint includes the names of Saumya Chaurasia, former IAS officer Niranjan Das, several liquor licence holders, distributors, and officials of the state excise department, against whom the investigation has now been completed.
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