A Raipur court on Monday extended the judicial custody of son of senior Congress leader and former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, Chaitanya Baghel, until August 18 in the money laundering case involving the alleged liquor scam in the state.
The Enforcement Directorate sought Chaitanya's judicial remand for a further 14 days after the lapse of his earlier 14-day judicial remand, his lawyer Faisal Rizvi said.
The PMLA court has also extended his judicial custody up to August 18, Rizvi added.
Chaitanya was arrested on July 18 by the Enforcement Directorate after a raid on his residence he shares with his father in Bhilai town of Durg district.
Chaitanya "processed" over ₹1,000 crore of "proceeds of crime" from a liquor "scam" in the state and utilised ₹16.7 crore for developing his real estate project, the ED had said in a statement while arresting him.
Bhupesh Baghel has alleged Central agencies were used mischievously to take on opposition leaders, but assured that he had faith in the judiciary and would assist them.
He had also asserted ED action against his son was part of a plot to divert attention from the "illegal tree felling" for coal mines in the state because the Congress was about to bring up the issue in the state Assembly last week.
Also read: Ex-CM Bhupesh Baghel’s son sent to 14-day judicial custody
Congress had also organised 'chakka jam' (road blockade) in various areas of the state on Tuesday protesting ED action.
The ED has claimed the alleged scam caused a "massive loss" to the state exchequer and filled the coffers of the beneficiaries of a liquor syndicate with more than ₹2,100 crore.
The "scam" in the state, the ED alleged, was planned during 2019 to 2022 when Chhattisgarh was ruled by the Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress government.
The ED in January arrested former minister and Congress leader Kawasi Lakhma, along with Anwar Dhebar, former IAS officer Anil Tuteja, Indian Telecom Service (ITS) officer Arunpati Tripathi and some others as part of its investigations in the case.
The EOW/ACB filed the FIR on January 17 last year, roughly a month after the BJP had trounced the outgoing Congress government in the 2023 assembly elections, and named 70 people and firms, including former excise minister Kawasi Lakhma and former chief secretary Vivek Dhand.
As per the ED, the purported commission earned through the illicit sale of liquor was divided "as per the directives from the top political officials of the state".
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