The Chhattisgarh high court on Friday granted bail to former chief minister Bhupesh Baghel’s son Chaitanya Baghel in two cases linked to the alleged ₹3,000 crore liquor scam in the state. Bhupesh Baghel welcomed the high court’s decision, calling it a “victory of truth”.
“The court granted bail in two separate cases. One which was registered by the Enforcement Directorate and the other by the state’s Anti-Corruption Bureau/Economic Offences Wing (ACB/EOW),” ED’s counsel Saurabh Kumar Pande told reporters.
The ED had arrested Chaitanya Baghel in July last year in connection with its money laundering investigation into the alleged scam. Subsequently, the ACB/EOW arrested him in September in its corruption case while he was still lodged in jail.
According to ED, the alleged liquor “scam” was orchestrated between 2019 and 2022, a period when Chhattisgarh was governed by the Congress under Bhupesh Baghel. The agency has alleged that the scam caused a “massive loss” to the state exchequer while benefiting a liquor syndicate.
The federal agency had claimed that Chaitanya Baghel was at the helm of the alleged syndicate and personally handled nearly ₹1,000 crore generated from the purported scam.
The ACB/EOW, in its case, has alleged that apart from managing the proceeds of crime at a higher level, Chaitanya Baghel received around ₹200–250 crore as his share. The state agency has further claimed that the total proceeds of crime generated from the alleged liquor scam could exceed ₹3,500 crore.
Welcoming the order, former CM Baghel said: “Truth may be troubled, but it cannot be defeated. The high court has given a great relief. It is a matter of great happiness that Chaitanya has been granted bail.”
“Chaitanya was arrested based on the statement of one Pappu Bansal, who is an absconder. I have been saying this from the beginning that the central and the state governments have been leaving no stone unturned to harass us,” he added, alleging that agencies such as ED, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and EOW were being used to harass opposition leaders.
“Those who get scared, join their party or compromise, while those who do not are sent to jail. Our ancestors went to jail during the fight for Independence. If they did not fear the Britishers, why should we fear them (BJP) today?” Baghel said.
BJP spokesperson Sacchinand Upasane said, “Bail does not mean that he is innocent. The case will proceed and the investigation will continue.”
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