Chaitanya Baghel, son of senior Congress leader and former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday in connection with a money laundering investigation tied to an alleged liquor scam in the state.
The arrest followed a series of early morning raids by ED officials at the Baghel family’s Bhilai residence. This marks the second such raid by the agency at the premises this year.
The development triggered a sharp political response from the opposition benches. Former CM Bhupesh Baghel described the arrest as a “birthday gift” to his son from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, implying political vendetta behind the ED’s actions.
Baghel also claimed the arrest was timed to suppress dissent over alleged environmental damage in Raigarh district’s Tamnar tehsil, where trees are reportedly being felled for a coal mining project by the Adani Group.
In protest, all Congress MLAs staged a walkout from the Chhattisgarh Assembly session on Friday. Leader of Opposition Charan Das Mahant accused the central agencies of being misused to harass political opponents. As MLAs exited the House, they chanted slogans, including:
“Ek pedh Maa ke naam, baaki sab Baap ke naam”
— a pointed reference to recent political debates over land use and government accountability.
Sources in the Enforcement Directorate confirmed that the arrest is part of an ongoing investigation into an alleged liquor distribution and taxation scam, in which Chaitanya Baghel is believed to be a key figure.
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