Chaitanya Baghel, son of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, was taken into custody on Friday by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a major development linked to the alleged multi-crore liquor scam in the state. The arrest coincided with Chaitanya’s birthday, triggering protests, political backlash, and an abrupt adjournment of Assembly proceedings.

The financial probe agency accuses Chaitanya Baghel of receiving part of the illegal proceeds from a liquor syndicate that allegedly siphoned off over Rs 2,160 crore between 2019 and 2022, during the Congress-led state government’s tenure. ED officials claim the scam involved the operation of an unauthorised distribution mechanism, which supplied unregulated liquor to government-run outlets without depositing the corresponding revenue into the public exchequer.

The arrest comes amid heightened political tensions, with Congress alleging that the ED action was strategically timed to silence opposition voices. Bhupesh Baghel claimed the central agencies were acting at the behest of the ruling BJP government. “To please their master, Modi and Shah have sent the ED to my house. We are not going to be scared or bow down. Bhupesh Baghel won’t be afraid. We will fight the battle of truth,” he said in a statement to the press during the ED raid.

This is the second search operation conducted at the Baghel residence in Bhilai this year. In March, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) also raided the property during investigations tied to the Mahadev betting app scandal, in which the senior Baghel is also facing allegations.

Congress Staged Protest

Soon after Friday’s arrest, the Congress party staged a strong protest in the Chhattisgarh Assembly. The opposition walked out of the session chanting slogans, condemning what they called a politically motivated move. “The way ED is putting pressure to harass Baghel and on us, it’s important to talk about it. They have arrested Chaitanya. We oppose it and we boycott the proceedings,” said Charan Das Mahant, Leader of the Opposition.

The ED has so far arrested several individuals in the case, including former excise minister and Congress leader Kawasi Lakhma, senior bureaucrats such as retired IAS officer Anil Tuteja and Indian Telecom Service officer Arunpati Tripathi, and businessman Anwar Dhebar, who is the brother of ex-Raipur mayor Aijaz Dhebar. Assets worth over Rs 205 crore belonging to the accused have been attached by the agency.

According to ED sources, the syndicate accepted bribes from liquor manufacturers in exchange for market control and licensing benefits, particularly for premium and imported brands. It also allegedly operated a shadow system of liquor distribution in rural regions, where alcohol was sold through government shops but the revenue never reached the state treasury.

The case has gone through multiple legal and procedural turns. In 2024, the Supreme Court scrapped the initial ECIR (Enforcement Case Information Report) based on an Income Tax Department complaint. However, after the Congress government lost the 2023 Assembly election, the ED prompted the state’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) to file a new FIR on January 17, 2024. That complaint named over 70 individuals and entities, including former chief secretary Vivek Dhand.

ED Arrests Baghel’s Son Amid Probe Heat

Chaitanya Baghel was arrested after reportedly not cooperating with the investigation, according to ED sources. His arrest was accompanied by heavy police deployment to manage the crowd of Congress supporters gathered at the residence. The ED had earlier described him as a “recipient” of the illegal proceeds.

Bhupesh Baghel did not hold back in his reaction to the timing of the arrest. Referring to past raids on his own aides, he posted on X (formerly Twitter): “The kind of birthday gift that Modi and Shah ji give, no one else in any democracy in the world can give. On my birthday, both highly respected leaders sent ED to the homes of my advisor and two OSDs. And now, on my son Chaitanya’s birthday, an ED team is raiding my house. Thank you for these gifts. They will be remembered for a lifetime.”

The former chief minister also accused the BJP of using federal agencies like ED, CBI, and IT as political tools. “On one hand, in Bihar, with the help of the Election Commission, voters are being removed (from the voters list), and democracy is being stripped. On the other hand, they are using ED, IT, CBI, and DRI, which are being misused to suppress Opposition leaders. However, our country’s people are now well aware,” Baghel said.

Congress alleged the timing of the raid was no coincidence. The party pointed out that Bhupesh Baghel was scheduled to raise concerns about environmental damage in Raigarh’s Tamnar tehsil, where a coal project involving the Adani Group is underway. “Narendra Modi is using ED, CBI, IT as his pets. Any opposition leader who speaks against his corruption is raided. Bhupesh ji was about to raise the issue of trees being cut for Adani in the assembly today, but before that ED was sent,” the party stated on X.

Baghel Joins Deforestation Protest in Tamnar

Earlier this month, Baghel had visited Tamnar to support tribal communities protesting deforestation linked to the mine, which is operated by Adani under contract with Maharashtra State Power Generation Company Limited (MAHAGENCO).

Meanwhile, the state EOW, probing the criminal aspect of the case, now estimates the total scam value at Rs 3,200 crore. A chargesheet has already been filed against 22 officials of the excise department.

The political temperature in Chhattisgarh continues to rise, with the Congress and other opposition parties alleging an “ongoing pattern of misuse” of federal investigative agencies to target dissent.