Chaitanya Baghel’s Arrest in Liquor Scam: ED Targets Ex-Chhattisgarh CM’s Son in ₹2,161 Crore Case
On July 18, 2025, Chaitanya Baghel, the son of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a dramatic escalation of a high-profile investigation about a ₹2,161 crore liquor scam that allegedly embezzled the state exchequer between 2019 and 2022. As the 2025 Chhattisgarh assembly elections approach, the arrest—made in accordance with the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) following raids at Chaitanya’s Bhilai home—has sparked a political uproar, with accusations of vendettas abounding. Here are the reasons behind this case’s national attention and its implications for India’s political climate.
According to the ED, Chaitanya Baghel, a real estate entrepreneur and MBA graduate, was a major beneficiary of the scam. He handled over ₹1,000 crore in criminal proceeds through businesses connected to him, including ₹16.7 crore that was transferred through two firms. The agency alleges that during the tenure of the Congress-led government, a syndicate of politicians, bureaucrats, and liquor traders manipulated the state’s liquor trade by using phony holograms and off-the-books sales through state-run outlets to embezzle money. IAS officer Anil Tuteja and former Excise Minister Kawasi Lakhma were among those previously arrested, and assets valued at ₹205 crore have been attached. Chaitanya was involved in hiding and laundering these illegal funds while presenting them as legitimate, the ED’s attorney told a Raipur PMLA court.
Discontent has been stoked by the arrest’s timing, which coincided with Chaitanya’s 38th birthday and the end of the state assembly’s monsoon session. Senior Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel claims the ED is acting politically to silence critics, especially after
Congress voiced concerns about the felling of trees for a coal mine in Tamnar that is connected to Adani. Baghel wrote on X, “They target my son to silence dissent,” promising to fight back and expressing faith in the legal system. The heated environment was highlighted by altercations between Congress supporters and police outside Chaitanya’s residence, with opinions on X expressing both indignation and doubt about the ED’s intentions.
Chaitanya has previously dealt with the ED; in March 2025, raids took ₹30 lakh and documents from his home. The case, which was resurrected after the Supreme Court dismissed a previous ED investigation in 2024, is related to a January 2024 FIR filed by the Economic Offenses Wing of Chhattisgarh, which named 70 people. According to the ED, unlawful commissions were shared under the orders of “top political executives,” resulting in a significant loss of revenue. The case may change Chhattisgarh’s political narrative as the investigations progress..
Beyond the news, it’s a conflict over accountability, power, and purported political retaliation. Will justice be served, or is this a ploy to silence critics? Stay tuned as this explosive case develops and share your thoughts.
