The arrest of Chaitanya Baghel, son of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has sparked widespread political outcry and accusations of vendetta politics. Chaitanya was arrested on July 18, 2025, on charges of money laundering in connection with an alleged ₹2,100 crore liquor scam that purportedly occurred between 2019 and 2022, during Bhupesh Baghel's tenure as Chief Minister.
According to the ED, Chaitanya Baghel played a "central and active role" in laundering illegal proceeds from a liquor syndicate that allegedly manipulated Chhattisgarh's excise system. The ED claims that Chaitanya laundered ₹16.7 crore through shell firms and under-invoiced real estate deals. One specific transaction highlighted by the ED involved ₹5 crore funneled from Saheli Jewellers into a project by Baghel Developers called Vitthal Green. The ED estimates the actual expenditure on the Vitthal Green project to be between ₹13 crore and ₹15 crore, with a significant portion paid in cash, despite official declarations stating the project costs were ₹7.14 crore.
Bhupesh Baghel and the Congress party have vehemently condemned the arrest, alleging that it is a politically motivated move by the central government to silence opposition voices. Baghel claims that the ED's action was intended to prevent him from raising the issue of deforestation for an Adani Group coal mining project in the state assembly. He questioned the timing of the ED raids, which coincided with his son's birthday, suggesting a deliberate attempt to harass and intimidate his family.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, a prominent Congress leader, echoed Baghel's sentiments, asserting that the arrest was a tactic to suppress dissent and divert attention from the Adani Group's involvement in deforestation in Chhattisgarh. She stated that the BJP government was handing over the state's forests to Adani, and Baghel's attempt to raise this issue in the Assembly led to the ED's action against his son.
Chaitanya Baghel's lawyer, Faisal Rizvi, argued that the arrest was unjustified, stating that his client's name had never been mentioned in the ED's previous prosecution complaints related to the case. He also pointed out that Chaitanya was arrested based solely on statements from Pappu Bansal, against whom a non-bailable warrant had been issued. Rizvi questioned whether Bansal's statement was obtained under pressure and emphasized that the ED had not summoned Chaitanya for questioning prior to the arrest.
In response to Chaitanya's arrest, the Chhattisgarh Congress has called for statewide protests and an "Aarthik Nakabandi" (economic blockade) on July 22. The party plans to block roads, disrupt mineral transport, and stage demonstrations across Chhattisgarh to protest the alleged misuse of central agencies and to protect the state's natural resources. The Congress party accuses the BJP of intimidating opposition leaders by jailing them in false cases and conspiring to hand over Chhattisgarh's resources to the Adani Group.
