26 March, Raipur/Bhilai:
CBI conducted raids at the former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel’s residence on Wednesday. The investigation is linked to an alleged Rs 2,161 crore liquor scam involving Baghel and his son, Chaitanya Baghel.
According to reports, the CBI teams launched simultaneous operations at Baghel’s house in Raipur and Bhilai. Additionally, raids were carried out at multiple locations, including Padum Nagar, Sector 5, and Sector 9 in Bhilai. Several senior police officers were deployed outside the premises in anticipation of protests, as witnessed during the previous raids by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Before CBI’s involvement, the ED had also investigated the case, conducting searches at Baghel’s residence on March 10. The probe intensified when the ED raided 13 locations associated with Chaitanya Baghel and his close aide Lakshmi Narayan Bansal, also known as Pappu Bansal, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Allegations and Key Accusations
The CBI operation is reportedly connected to the Mahadev Satta case, in which significant cash transactions were suspected. Allegations surfaced regarding former SP of Durg, Abhishek Pallav, allegedly receiving Rs 10 lakh per month, while another former SP was allegedly collecting Rs 75 lakh monthly. The CBI teams reached their residences early in the morning and secured the premises, preventing any movement in or out. Senior police officer Dr. Anand Chhabra and former ASP of Durg, Sanjay Dhruv, are also under scrutiny in connection with the case.
Although the exact reasons for CBI’s latest actions remain unclear, sources indicate that the agency arrived well-prepared, indicating a pre-planned operation. Officials reportedly questioned the individuals present in the raided locations.
Political Reactions
Reacting to the raids, Bhupesh Baghel took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), stating, “Now CBI has come.” The timing of the operation is notable, as Baghel was scheduled to travel to Delhi for a meeting of the ‘drafting committee’ ahead of the AICC event in Ahmedabad on April 8 and 9.
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