Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel has accused the Enforcement Directorate (ED) of conducting politically motivated raids at his residence without the permission of the Election Commission of India (ECI). Baghel claimed the raids were staged to create media hype and tarnish his reputation ahead of elections.
Dismissing the alleged recovery of ₹33 lakh from his home as insignificant, Baghel said the authorities were only trying to defame him. “They came here without the ECI’s permission and with cameras to create hype. After all this, they recovered only ₹33 lakh — that’s all they have against me. I haven’t received any summons, and I’m not running away. Every time I leave the state, there’s a raid. After four years, they still haven’t been able to prove anything because they know they can’t win in court,” Baghel stated.
The ED carried out searches at the homes of Bhupesh Baghel, his son Chaitanya Baghel, and others as part of an ongoing probe into the alleged multi-crore liquor scam in Chhattisgarh. Baghel described the raid experience, saying, “At around 7:30 in the morning, while I was reading the newspaper, the ED arrived at my house. I welcomed them.” Addressing his supporters later, he thanked them for standing by him in this “time of crisis.”
Explaining the events, Baghel said he asked the officials for a search warrant and denied them access to his phone. “We are an agricultural family with 140 acres of land. The ₹33 lakh found at my home includes earnings from farming, dairy, and household savings,” he added. Baghel accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of misusing investigative agencies like the CBI and ED to target opposition leaders. “The people of this country now know that the BJP uses these agencies for political vendetta. The quick conclusion of the search at my home shows they found nothing of significance,” he said.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Baghel claimed that the ED found a pen drive with details of a financial transaction between Manturam and Dr. Puneet Gupta, son-in-law of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Dr. Raman Singh. He also mentioned documents related to SAIL company linked to Dr. Raman Singh’s son, Abhishek Singh.
Sources revealed that the ED raids spanned 14 locations across Chhattisgarh, investigating alleged irregularities in the state’s liquor trade, involving illegal commissions and money laundering. The ED has alleged that a cartel of government officials, politicians, and liquor businessmen collected approximately ₹2,161 crore through illicit liquor sales between 2019 and 2022. The scam reportedly involved the manipulation of the liquor supply chain, with a cartel controlling the sale and distribution of alcohol through government-run shops.
The ED has previously conducted multiple raids targeting politicians and bureaucrats connected to the Congress-led government in Chhattisgarh, further intensifying the political clash in the state.
