CBI Searches Ex-Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel’s Residence in Multiple Scam Probes
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday conducted searches at the Raipur and Bhilai residences of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, nearly a month after similar raids by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The action is linked to probes into the Mahadev Satta app, coal, liquor, and PSC scams. CRPF personnel were deployed outside Baghel’s home to prevent disruptions following earlier clashes during ED raids.
Sources indicate the CBI’s searches are part of investigations into the Mahadev Satta app, coal, liquor, and PSC scams, which have implicated Baghel. The raids come weeks after the ED searched the residence of Baghel’s son, Chaitanya, on March 10 in connection with an alleged Rs 2,100-crore liquor scam. The ED had claimed the scam caused a “massive loss” to the state exchequer.
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Baghel’s office stated on X that the former CM was set to travel to Delhi for a meeting of the “Drafting Committee” for an upcoming AICC meet in Ahmedabad on April 8-9. “Before he could leave, the CBI reached his Raipur and Bhilai residence,” the post read, highlighting the timing of the agency’s action amid Baghel’s political engagements.
On March 10, the ED raided 15 locations, including Chaitanya Baghel’s Bhilai residence, in a money laundering probe tied to the liquor scam. The raids led to violent protests by Congress workers, who clashed with police and attacked ED officials outside Baghel’s Durg home. The unrest prompted heightened security measures for the CBI’s operations on Wednesday.
The CBI’s investigation into Baghel’s alleged involvement in multiple scams is expected to intensify, with potential new findings as the probe progresses. The repeated raids signal a broader crackdown on the Congress leader, and political reactions are likely to escalate ahead of the AICC meeting. Further updates are awaited as the investigation unfolds.
