Years
ED counsel Saurabh Pandey told the court that Chaitanya Baghel is not cooperating with the investigators. He said that we came to know his role in the liquor scam. His police remand ended today and we demanded judicial custody. The court has sent him to judicial custody till 6 September.
Chaitanya Baghel, son of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, has been sent to 14 days judicial custody by a court in Raipur in a case of money laundering of alleged crores of rupees in the state. This order came after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) after completion of interrogation in his custody for five days. ED counsel Saurabh Pandey told the court that Chaitanya Baghel is not cooperating with the investigators. He said that we came to know his role in the liquor scam. His police remand ended today and we demanded judicial custody. The court has sent him to judicial custody till 6 September.
Also read this: Bhupesh Baghel and son Chaitanya did not get relief from Supreme Court, asked to go to High Court
Why is Chaitanya Baghel arrested?
Chaitanya Baghel was arrested by the ED on 18 July. In this scam, the state treasury was allegedly defrauded by more than ₹ 2,161 crore. The agency describes him as the mastermind of the entire case, including a network of rigging in the alleged bribery, off-the-book sales and licenses. This alleged scam was operated through Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation Limited (CSMCL), where liquor makers were allegedly taken bribe in exchange for favorable market access. The ED says that indigenous liquor was sold illegally through government shops and rigging in foreign liquor license (FL-10A) to benefit specific people. The case also includes several other high-profile names, such as businessman Anwar Dhebar, former bureaucrat Anil Tuteja and former Excise Minister Kavasi Lakhma, who are accused of regularly taking bribe. So far, the ED has confiscated assets of ₹ 205 crore in this case.
Supreme Court order
On August 4, the Supreme Court directed Bhupesh Baghel and his son to go to the Chhattisgarh High Court for relief and relief related to possible arrests under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The apex court also asked him to file a new petition challenging the constitutional validity of some provisions of the PMLA, which will be heard separately.
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