Raipur: In the high-profile Chhattisgarh liquor scam case, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) and Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on December 22, 2025, filed the eighth chargesheet against accused Chaitanya Baghel in the Special Court in Raipur. With this, a total of eight chargesheets, including the original one, have now been submitted in the case.
According to officials, the latest chargesheet includes the current status of the investigation against all arrested accused, along with detailed digital evidence and forensic reports presented before the court. The investigation status of other accused persons, against whom probes are still underway, has also been mentioned. The investigating agencies stated that the probe in the case is ongoing.
Role in Building and Protecting the Liquor Syndicate
As per the EOW/ACB investigation, Chaitanya Baghel played a key role during the relevant period in establishing an illegal recovery mechanism (syndicate) within the Excise Department and acted as its coordinator and protector. The probe revealed that he facilitated coordination and issued directions between senior officials working in the interest of the syndicate—such as Anil Tuteja, Saumya Chaurasia, Arunpati Tripathi and Niranjan Das—and ground-level syndicate operators including Anwar Dhebar, Arvind Singh and Vikas Agrawal.
Management and Laundering of Scam Proceeds
Investigators have alleged that Chaitanya Baghel was responsible for channeling and managing the scam proceeds collected by Anwar Dhebar’s team, using trusted associates to transfer funds to higher levels. The chargesheet states that he routed his share of the illegal money through various firms linked to Trilok Singh Dhillon and received the funds via banking channels into his family-owned firms. The money was allegedly used in under-construction real estate projects. Additionally, large sums of illicit funds were reportedly received and invested through family friends and close associates using banking routes.
Evidence of ₹200–250 Crore Share
The investigation has found evidence suggesting that Chaitanya Baghel received approximately ₹200–250 crore as his share from the liquor syndicate. Agencies have stated that the high-level protection, policy influence and administrative interference allegedly provided by him enabled the syndicate to operate for a prolonged period.
Scam Amount May Exceed ₹3,500 Crore
As per the latest assessment, the total amount involved in the excise liquor scam has been calculated at around ₹3,074 crore. However, investigators believe that with further probe and assessment of all sources, the total illegal proceeds may exceed ₹3,500 crore.
Proceedings in the Special Court are ongoing, and investigating agencies have indicated that further disclosures and legal action may follow as the investigation continues.