ED Attaches ₹61 Crore Assets Of Ex-CM Bhupesh Baghel’s Son
In a statement issued on Thursday, the ED said it has attached immovable properties consisting of 364 residential plots and agricultural land worth ₹59.96 crore, along with movable assets such as bank balances and fixed deposits worth ₹1.24 crore.
NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached assets worth ₹61.20 crore belonging to Chaitanya Baghel, son of former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, in connection with the ongoing investigation into the state’s liquor scam.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the ED said it has attached immovable properties consisting of 364 residential plots and agricultural land worth ₹59.96 crore, along with movable assets such as bank balances and fixed deposits worth ₹1.24 crore.
“Police investigation has revealed that the Chhattisgarh liquor scam caused a massive loss to the state exchequer and generated more than ₹2,500 crore in proceeds of crime, which went into the hands of the beneficiaries,” the statement said.
The ED’s probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) has found that Chaitanya Baghel was positioned at the “apex of the liquor syndicate.”
“His position as the Chief Minister’s son made him the controller and ultimate authority of the syndicate. He maintained the ‘hisab’ (accounts) of all illicit funds collected, and major decisions related to collection, channelisation and distribution of the proceeds of crime were taken under his directions,” the ED alleged.
The agency also claimed that Chaitanya Baghel received the proceeds of crime and layered them through his real estate business, projecting them as legitimate assets. The funds were allegedly used for the development of his real estate project, Vitthal Green, under his proprietorship, Baghel Developers.
“Chaitanya Baghel was arrested by the ED on July 18, 2025 and is currently in judicial custody. Earlier, in this case, Anil Tuteja (ex-IAS), Arvind Singh, Trilok Singh Dhillon, Anwar Dhebar, Arun Pati Tripathi (ITS), and MLA and former excise minister Kawasi Lakhma had also been arrested,” the ED statement added.
The latest attachment of ₹61.20 crore follows earlier attachments of immovable properties worth nearly ₹215 crore.
The ED’s investigation is based on an FIR registered by the Anti-Corruption Bureau/Economic Offences Wing, Raipur, under various sections of the IPC, 1860, and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.