New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) carried out searches at the residences of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel in Raipur and Bhilai on Wednesday (March 26) morning.
The team of officials from the CBI reached Baghel’s residence a fortnight after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out searches at the residences of Baghel and his son Chaitanya, reported The Indian Express.
“Now CBI has arrived. Former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel is scheduled to go to Delhi today for the meeting of the “Drafting Committee” constituted for the AICC meeting to be held in Ahmedabad (Gujarat) on 8 and 9 April. Even before that, CBI has reached Raipur and Bhilai Niwas(residence),” Baghel’s team posted on X from Baghel’s official account.
अब CBI आई है.
आगामी 8 और 9 अप्रैल को अहमदाबाद (गुजरात) में होने वाली AICC की बैठक के लिए गठित “ड्राफ़्टिंग कमेटी” की मीटिंग के लिए आज पूर्व मुख्यमंत्री भूपेश बघेल का दिल्ली जाने का कार्यक्रम है.
उससे पूर्व ही CBI रायपुर और भिलाई निवास पहुँच चुकी है.
(कार्यालय-भूपेश बघेल)
— Bhupesh Baghel (@bhupeshbaghel) March 26, 2025
With the CBI not releasing any statement so far on the searches, it remains unclear as to which case the searches may pertain to.
The agency is presently investigating the illegal Mahadev betting app case, and corruption cases related to recruitment in Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission that allegedly took place in the previous Congress-run government.
Earlier, taking cognisance of FIRs registered by Chhattisgarh Police over the alleged illegal sale of liquor in the state during the Baghel government’s tenure, ED initiated a probe into the money laundering case, with ED saying that the scam was worth over Rs 2,000 crore.
Around 14 locations including the premises of Baghel’s associates were raided by the ED in Chhattisgarh earlier this month.
“It is highly condemnable that agencies are harassing former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel repeatedly. This is only a futile attempt by the BJP to tarnish Bhupeshji’s image. The BJP government of the state is proving incapable of running the state of Chhattisgarh, hence it is making such efforts to divert the attention of the people from the issues related to the public,” Congress leader and former Chhattisgarh deputy chief minister T.S. Singh Deo said on Wednesday in response to the CBI’s operations.
