ED probe itself is punishment: Bhupesh Baghel says no notice was served on his son

Raipur, March 15 (IANS) Senior Congress leader and former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Saturday hit out at the Enforcement Directorate (ED), stating that its investigation itself amounts to punishment.

Baghel claimed that his son, Chaitanya Baghel, had not received any summons from the ED regarding the alleged liquor scam, despite reports suggesting he would be questioned on March 15.

“We have not received any notice. If there is a notice, we will definitely comply. It is the ED’s job to create media hype. Agencies are being misused to defame people. This is a conspiracy by the BJP,” Baghel alleged at a press conference in Raipur.

He asserted that his son would cooperate with the investigation if a formal notice was issued. “Chaitanya Baghel will appear as soon as we receive the ED’s notice. We respect their authority,” he said.

Baghel also accused the central agency of spreading misinformation. “A video of a note-counting machine inside my house was made viral. Our phones were seized by the ED. Who recorded the video and leaked it to the media? The ED is working to malign our image,” he claimed.

Questioning the prolonged investigation, Baghel remarked, “Is the ED probe itself a punishment? The case has been under investigation since 2021 — four years have passed now. The trial has not yet started, and no final report has been filed. This delay makes it clear that the investigation is a form of harassment.”

On March 10, the ED conducted raids at 14 locations linked to Chaitanya Baghel and others in Chhattisgarh’s Durg district under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The raids were part of a probe into the alleged Rs 2,161 crore liquor scam in the state.

ED teams searched Chaitanya Baghel’s residence and properties linked to his associates, including businessman Laxmi Narayan Bansal, also known as Pappu Bansal.

–IANS

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