ED Raids Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel’s Bhilai Residence

Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel. (Photo: ANI)

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on  Friday raided former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel's Bhilai residence.

"ED has arrived. Today is the last day of the assembly session. The issue of trees being cut in Tamnar for Adani was supposed to be raised today. 'Saheb' has sent the ED to the Bhilai residence," Baghel’s office posted from his X handle. 

Former Chhattisgarh CM and Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel tweets, "ED has arrived. Today is the last day of the assembly session. The issue of trees being cut in Tamnar for Adani was supposed to be raised today..." pic.twitter.com/DrorTWEqwT — ANI (@ANI) July 18, 2025

The searches are part of the agency's broader crackdown on suspected money laundering and irregularities linked to the multi-crore scam. 

The move comes months after the agency, in March this year, seized Rs 30 lakh from the residence of Bhupesh Baghel and his son Chaitanya. The amount was recovered during a day-long search operation conducted at a total of 14 locations across Chhattisgarh, pertaining to alleged irregularities in the liquor trade, involving suspected illegal commissions and money laundering.

Hitting out at the BJP over the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids at his residence (on March 10), Baghel termed the move an attempt to "trouble" opposition leaders.

"The citizens of the country now know that the BJP uses CBI, ED to trouble others. If the search operation ended just in hours in the home of a former chief minister, then they did not find anything," he said. 

The raids were conducted at least total of 14 locations across Chhattisgarh in the case pertaining to alleged irregularities in the liquor trade in Chhattisgarh, involving alleged suspected illegal commissions and money laundering.

ED has alleged that Chaitanya Baghel is also "the recipient of proceeds of crime generated from the liquor scam, wherein total proceeds of crime are around Rs 2,161 crore siphoned off through various schemes."

The ED has alleged that a cartel of government officials, politicians, and liquor businessmen ran a scheme that illegally collected around Rs 2,161 crore from the sale of liquor in the state between 2019 and 2022. The alleged scam involved manipulation of the liquor supply chain, where a cartel controlled the sale and distribution of alcohol through government-run shops.

A portion of liquor sold was allegedly not accounted for in official records, and bribes were allegedly collected from suppliers to allow its sale outside the legal system.

(With ANI Inputs)