The Enforcement Directorate (ED) court granted the central investigation agency five days' custody of Chaitanya Baghel, son of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, in connection with the ongoing investigation into the alleged multi-crore liquor scam in the state. Chaitanya was produced before an ED court on Friday after being arrested from his residence in Chhattisgarh. The ED had sought 14 days for interrogation. However, the court has given five days to investigate the former CM's son.
On Friday morning, at around 6 am, ED officials raided the Bhilai residence of Chaitanya Baghel and his father, Bhupesh Baghel. Bhupesh Baghel informed in a post X about the development. Later in the afternoon, he was subsequently arrested and taken into custody.
Advocate Faizal Rizvi, appearing for Chaitanya Baghel, said, "After arresting him, ED demanded 5-day custordial remand. An objection has been raised over this. In their plea, ED laid emphasis that all of these things have come to the fore on the basis of statements of Laxmi Bansal alias Pappu Bansal. The arrest has been made on that basis. After recording Bansal's statement and even before that, three supplementary complaints were presented after the main complaint. Chaitanya Baghel's name did not appear there; not even once was any summon sent to Chaitanya Baghel to record his statement under Section 50."
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Following the raids, Bhupesh Baghel's office posted on X,"ED has arrived. Today is the last day of the Assembly session. The issue of trees being cut in Tamnar for Adani was supposed to be raised today. "Saheb" has sent the ED to the Bhilai residence."
The move comes months after the agency seized Rs 30 lakh recovered from Bhupesh Baghel's and his son Chaitanya's residence in March this year. The amount was recovered during a day-long search operation conducted at 14 locations across Chhattisgarh in the case, which pertains to alleged irregularities in the liquor trade in Chhattisgarh, involving suspected illegal commissions and money laundering.