Raipur, July 18 (IANS) In a development that has sent ripples through Chhattisgarh’s political and legal corridors, Chaitanya Baghel, son of former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on July 18, 2025—his birthday—in connection with a sprawling Rs 2,161 crore liquor scam.

The arrest, made under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), followed fresh raids at the Baghel residence in Bhilai and marks a dramatic escalation in the state’s anti-corruption drive.

The ED alleges that between 2019 and 2022, a parallel excise syndicate operated under the Congress-led government, involving bureaucrats, contractors, and political figures. Liquor was sold off-the-books through state-run outlets using fake holograms and manipulated foreign liquor licences (FL-10A), with commissions of Rs 75 per case allegedly funnelled to senior officials. Chaitanya is suspected to have received proceeds from this illicit network.

During earlier raids in March 2025, Rs 30 lakh was recovered from properties linked to him and his father.

While no formal charges have been filed, speculation persists regarding Chaitanya’s possible ties to the Mahadev betting app, a digital gambling platform under investigation for money laundering.

The CBI, acting on ED and EOW findings, registered an FIR in December 2024 against 21 individuals—including Bhupesh Baghel—under the Corruption, Fraud and Gambling Act. The FIR, now circulating widely, names businessmen, police officers, and political operatives allegedly linked to the Mahadev syndicate.

The arrest has ignited fierce political backlash. Bhupesh Baghel accused the BJP-led Centre of vendetta politics, claiming the timing was designed to derail opposition efforts to raise environmental concerns in the Assembly.

Chaitanya is an MBA graduate and former real estate entrepreneur. Though a general member of the Congress party, he holds no formal post and has largely remained outside active politics. Chaitanya, the only son of Bhupesh Baghel, lived with his family in Bhilai. Initially involved in real estate, he managed the family’s vegetable farming business.

In 2023, his wedding in Raipur drew considerable attention, attended by senior Congress leaders and Chief Ministers from across India. Despite his political lineage, Chaitanya holds no formal position in the Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress and generally avoids active politics. However, observers speculated he might have contested from Patan—his father’s Assembly seat—had Bhupesh Baghel won the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Even during his tenure as Chief Minister, Baghel maintained that Chaitanya would not engage directly with government officials. Chaitanya has also faced legal scrutiny before; in 2023, he was questioned in an attempted murder case, and again in 2024 in connection with an assault on a college professor. No formal charges were filed in either instance.

As the ED continues to attach assets—now exceeding Rs 205 crore—and files successive charge sheets, the case is poised to expand. With both liquor and betting scandals converging, Chaitanya Baghel’s arrest may prove pivotal in unravelling one of Chhattisgarh’s most complex political-financial nexuses.

–IANS

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