Bhupesh Baghel Discloses ED Raid Findings: Cash, Pen Drive & More:

As part of a money laundering probe centered on the purported liquor scam, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) seized the house of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on October 23, 2023, located in Bhilai town, Durg district.

While witnessing the ND raid look out, Baghel claimed that ED agents scooped out close to Rs 33 lakh from cash reserves stacked in the house he shares with his wife, son, three daughters, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren. He added that the cash is not huge owing to the families income streams, which include agriculture on a bigger scale of 140 acres of land coupled with dairy farming.

On the microblogging platform X, Baghel detailed the three items that were taken during the raid: a pen drive with what is suspected to be a conversation purporting to a financial conversation between Manturam and Dr. Puneet Gupta, the son-in-law of ex-Chhattisgarh CM Dr. Raman Singh; a SAIL related document from Abhishek Singh, Raman Singh's son; and cash found in the house, which Baghel claimed was part of family savings, farming income, and women’s wealth.

“I was sipping my medicinal tea while reading the newspaper when two members of the ED team arrived. Their arrival had been long overdue and I was expecting them. They discovered cash amounting to Rs 33 lakh which was owned by my wife, son, daughters, and daughter-in-law. We have assets that we have declared and income that is legally outside of India,” Baghel said while narrating to ANI.

Baghel also claimed that the presence of counting machines was for the sole purpose of exaggerating the raid. “There was an ambience built around expecting big things to be found, but instead this appears to be an intimidation strategy,” he claimed.

According to reports, the ED's actions are purportedly connected to an active investigation of Baghel's son, Chaitanya Baghel, who reportedly isa suspected beneficiary of the purported liquor scam. The agency later interrogated lhis associate, popularly known as Pappu Bansal, Lakshmi Narayan Bansal and others and under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, PMLA.

In a conversation with reporters post-raid, Baghel claimed there was a political grudge, accusing the BJP-led administration of going after him because he was recently made the Congress head for Punjab. He also connected the actions of the ED to his public criticism of government activities during the Chhattisgarh Assembly sitting, mentioning a similar investigation against ex-minister Kawasi Lakhma shortly after he had expressed concerns within the legislature.

This is an effort to quash the opposition,” Baghel added. “The liquor scam investigation has been prolonged for three years, and yet there is no final report or charges prepared.”

There has been no response from the ED regarding the results of the raid.