In a significant development, the Chhattisgarh High Court on Friday granted bail to Chaitanya Baghel, the son of former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, in two cases linked to the massive alleged liquor scam in the state. Arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) over five months ago, Chaitanya Baghel is now likely to walk out of jail on Saturday.
Legal Breakthrough After Months in Custody
Chaitanya Baghel's lawyer, Harshwardhan Pargania, confirmed the court's decision. The bail was granted in two separate cases – one registered by the ED and the other by the Chhattisgarh Economic Offences Wing (EOW). The hearings had concluded in December, with the judgment reserved until Friday's pronouncement.
Baghel's legal journey to bail began after his initial pleas were rejected by both the special ED court and the special EOW court. Following these rejections in October last year, he moved the High Court seeking relief.
The Timeline of Arrests and Allegations
The central agency, the Enforcement Directorate, arrested Chaitanya Baghel on July 18, 2023, in connection with the alleged liquor scam pegged at a staggering Rs 2,833 crore. The case revolves around accusations that a criminal syndicate, in collusion with the state's political and administrative machinery, bootlegged alcohol to government liquor shops and extorted massive illegal commissions.
Subsequent chargesheets filed by investigative agencies laid out serious allegations. In December, the state EOW accused Baghel of receiving between Rs 200 and 250 crore from the scam's proceeds between 2019 and 2022, a period when his father was the Chief Minister. Earlier, in September, the ED had claimed in a prosecution complaint that Chaitanya Baghel personally handled around Rs 1,000 crore generated from the illicit operation.
Wide Net of Accusations and Attachments
The case implicates a broad spectrum of individuals. A total of 81 accused have been chargesheeted so far, including 59 named in the final prosecution complaint filed on December 26, 2023. Key figures named alongside Chaitanya Baghel include former excise minister Kawasi Lakhma, former deputy secretary in the Chief Minister’s Office Saumya Chaurasia, and Anwar Dhebar, alleged to be the mastermind of the scam and brother of Raipur mayor Aijaz Dhebar.
The ED has stated that the syndicate operated through four distinct channels to generate illegal earnings, including bribes from suppliers, a parallel system for selling country liquor, annual payoffs from distillers, and a new license category to extort foreign liquor manufacturers.
In a major crackdown on assets, the ED has issued provisional attachment orders, seizing movable and immovable properties worth Rs 382.32 crore. These include 1,041 properties linked to the Dhebar and Baghel families, bureaucrats, politicians, and private entities.
While the grant of bail marks a pivotal moment for Chaitanya Baghel, the legal process is far from over. The ED counsel has emphasized that the agency submitted its prosecution complaint within the Supreme Court's stipulated timeframe and possesses substantial digital, documentary, and oral evidence against all accused. The investigation remains open to pursuing any new evidence that may emerge in the future.
