In Chhattisgarh, the Anti -Corruption Bureau and Economic Offenses Branch (ACB/EOW) arrested Chaitanya Baghel, son of former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and another person Deepend Chavda on Wednesday (24 September). The arrest took place in connection with the alleged liquor scam.

According to officials, both were produced in the Special Court (Prevention of Corruption Act) and the court sent them to the custody of ACB/EOW by 6 October.

The ACB/EOW reported that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested him on July 18 after searching him after a search at the house in Bhilai, Chaitanya Baghel. Since then he was in jail in judicial custody. Now after receiving a muscle warrant, he was formally arrested.

Claim of scam in the then Bhupesh government

An FIR was registered in this case in January last year. This liquor scam is believed to be between 2019 and 2022. The scam amount is allegedly over Rs 2,500 crore. At that time, Bhupesh Baghel had a Congress government in Chhattisgarh.

The ED has claimed that Chaitanya Baghel was the head of the syndicate behind the scam and he managed around Rs 1,000 crore personally. Apart from this, he also cooperated in hiding the income of crime and manipulation.

Arrest without evidence- lawyer

Chaitanya’s lawyer Faisal Rizvi said that this arrest has been made only to create pressure and there is no concrete evidence. According to Rizvi, Chaitanya’s name is nowhere in the main and complementary chargesheets recorded. Overall, about 45 people were made accused, but 29 of them were never arrested.

The lawyer also said that he was arrested only after the Chhattisgarh High Court rejected Chaitanya’s anticipatory bail plea. The basis of arrest was told by another accused Laxmi Narayan Bansal in the special court.

ACB/EOW and ED action

ACB/EOW had started an investigation into the matter and has so far collected several documents and evidence. The ED has already arrested former Excise Minister Kavasi Lakhma, former Chief Secretary Vivek Dhand, Anwar Dhebar, IAS Anil Tuteja, ITS officer Arunapati Tripathi and others for this scam.

The ED claims that Syndicate controlled the entire market share by taking commission and bribe from liquor makers in Chhattisgarh. The income received from this was being grabbed by the then officials and Congress party leaders.

Appearance in court

Chaitanya and Dipen were produced in a special court, where the court ordered them to be detained till 6 October. Now the court and investigative agencies are investigating this scam of more than Rs 2,500 crore.

The name of former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has been mentioned as a bribe recipient in the charge sheet filed in a local court in connection with the alleged liquor scam of Rs 3,500 crore by Andhra Pradesh Police. According to the charge sheet, he received a bribe of Rs 50 to 60 crore on an average every month.

Charge sheet filed by police

However, Jagan’s name is not as accused in the 305 -page charge sheet filed on Saturday (July 20, 2025). The court has not yet taken cognizance of the charge sheet. According to the chargesheet filed by the police, ‘The amount collected was finally handed over to the case of Rajasekhar Reddy (A-1).

After this, Rajasekhar Reddy handed over the zodiac to Vijay Sai Reddy (A-5), Mithun Reddy (A-4) and Balaji (A-33), who transferred it to former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. On an average, there was a recovery of Rs 50-60 crore every month.

Fake furnace

The charge sheet has revealed that Rajasekhar Reddy, the mastermind and co-head of the entire liquor scam of Rs 3,500 crore, appointed his loyal employees in APSBCL (Andhra Pradesh Dils Corporation Limited) besides impressing the manipulation in the Excise Policy, besides impressing manipulation in the excise policy.

The charge sheet states that he allegedly made fake liquor furnaces and bribed Jagan through another accused Balaji Govindappa. Rajasekhar Reddy, along with accused Chewirddi Bhaskar Reddy (former MLA), sent cash up to Rs 250-300 crore for the elections by the YSRCP party and also made money laundering through more than 30 fake firms.

Alcohol policy implemented with this intention

The charge sheet said that this amount was invested in buying goods of land, gold, luxury in Dubai and Africa. Police alleged that the main accused had implemented a new liquor policy with the intention of keeping full control of liquor supply and sale during the previous YSRCP government.

The charge sheet said, ‘The accused planned to change the excise policy and its methods to ensure that they get a big bribe. Most of such bribe was received in the form of cash, gold bricks etc.

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