March 11, Chhattisgarh: An Enforcement Directorate (ED) team that was carrying out searches at the home of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel in Bhilai was attacked by a mob, reportedly made up of Congress supporters, on Monday. The raids were carried out as part of a money laundering probe connected to an alleged ₹2,161 crore liquor scam against Baghel’s son, Chaitanya Baghel.
As ED officials left following the day-long search, their cars were blocked by demonstrators who chanted slogans, rode on the vehicles, and stoned them, shattering one of the car windows. The agency is also thinking of making a police complaint over the issue.
At the time of the raid, around ₹32-33 lakh in cash was recovered from Baghel’s house. The former Chief Minister added that this amount was not considerable, given his big family and agricultural income from 140 acres of land. He also said that the Enforcement Directorate officials did not show a search warrant when they arrived, claiming they would bring one later.
The ED investigation claims Chaitanya Baghel was one of the beneficiaries of the money in the liquor scam. He has been asked by the agency to report to its Raipur office on March 15 for further interrogation.
Raids also targeted 14 properties connected to family members and acquaintances of the Baghels, who were local businessmen as well as Congress functionaries. Records and other materials were picked up from the raided locations.
The Congress party criticized the raids as politically motivated actions of the BJP-led central government. They alleged that the timing was to deflect attention from important issues being raised in Parliament when the Budget session resumed.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai reacted by claiming that several scams and corruption cases took place during the last Congress government, which are now being investigated by central agencies.
An FIR has been registered against Congress leader Sunni Agrawal and 15-20 others for rioting and obstructing public servants in the performance of their duties, following a complaint by the driver of the ED officials’ vehicle.
The Enforcement Directorate’s investigation into the alleged liquor scam is ongoing, with further actions anticipated as more evidence is analyzed. Keep Reading Questiqa.in
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