Chhattisgarh CM's son loses bail plea in liquor scam case
Chaitanya Baghel, son of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, has lost his fight against arrest and bail in a major money laundering case tied to the state's alleged liquor scam.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested him on July 18, 2024, accusing him of laundering ₹16.7 crore through shady cash deals and fake bank entries.
The overall scam is pegged at over ₹3,200 crore between 2019 and 2022.
Baghel allegedly pocketed ₹5 crore through fake housing scheme
According to the ED, Baghel moved over ₹1,000 crore illegally with help from businessmen Trilok Singh Dhillon and Anwar Dhebar—money that allegedly made its way to the Congress party's former state treasurer.
He also reportedly pocketed ₹5 crore through a fake housing scheme called 'Vitthalpuram' by booking flats under other names but keeping control himself.
Baghel remains in judicial custody as investigations continue
The Chhattisgarh High Court refused to quash Baghel's arrest, saying there weren't enough grounds to call it illegal—even though he argued there were procedural lapses.
His bail was also rejected by a special court; for now, he remains in judicial custody as investigations continue.
The ED started looking into the case after complaints from tax and anti-corruption agencies—a sign of just how high-profile this probe has become in state politics.