Tensions flared in Chhattisgarh as protestors allegedly pelted stones at an Enforcement Directorate (ED) vehicle following a raid on the residence of former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel. The search, conducted in connection with a money laundering probe against his son Chaitanya Baghel in an alleged liquor scam, led to the seizure of ₹30 lakh in cash and several documents, sources said.
The Durg Police have registered an FIR against 15-20 individuals, including a man identified as Sunny Agarwal, under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for rioting, unlawful assembly, and obstructing a public servant. The incident occurred when the ED team was leaving Baghel’s Bhilai residence on Monday evening, with reports stating that some protestors climbed onto the vehicle’s bonnet while another hurled a stone, damaging the windshield.
The Congress has slammed the raids as a “political conspiracy” to divert attention from key issues in Parliament, while Bhupesh Baghel has questioned the timing of the ED’s actions. The alleged liquor scam, which reportedly siphoned off ₹2,100 crore from the state exchequer between 2019 and 2022, is under intense scrutiny, and Chaitanya Baghel is expected to be summoned for questioning in Raipur soon.
