Liquor 'scam' case: ED searches residence of Chhattisgarh Congress leader days after it arrests him

Liquor 'scam' case: ED searches residence of Chhattisgarh Congress leader days after it arrests him The ED's raids are additionally under way at a few other locations in Raipur, but office-holders have not yet confirmed which case the searches are linked to.

Key points

• When Chhattisgarh was governed by a Congress administration led by the then Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, according to the ED, the alleged liquor scam was orchestrated between 2019 and 2022.
• Talking to reporters in Raipur, Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee president Deepak Baij alleged that Central probe agencies are being applied to intimidate Opposition leaders.
• Plenty of Congress leaders and workers, including Dhamtari MLA Omkar Sahu, gathered outside Mr.
• The EOW has asserted that the proceeds of crime linked to the alleged liquor scam could exceed ₹3, 500 crore.
• Ram Gopal Agrawal is already in the custody of the ED and is being questioned.

When Chhattisgarh was governed by a Congress administration led by the then Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, according to the ED, the alleged liquor scam was orchestrated between 2019 and 2022. Photoit: X/@dir_ed.

"The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday (August 20, 2026) carried out a search at the residence of Congress leader Ram Gopal Agrawal, who was arrested by the Central agency last week in connection with an alleged liquor scam, in Chhattisgarh's Dhamtari district, " authorities stated.

Plenty of Congress leaders and workers, including Dhamtari MLA Omkar Sahu, gathered outside Mr. Agrawal's residence in the Audyogik Ward area in Raipur and staged a protest against the ED action. Congress leaders and workers raised slogans against the Central administration and the ED.

For context, the ED's raids are additionally under way at a few other locations in Raipur, but office-holders have not yet confirmed which case the searches are linked to.

"The ED and CBI action in Chhattisgarh is no longer a new thing. ED, CBI, Income Tax and other agencies have created it a routine to target and intimidate opposition leaders, " Mr. Baij alleged.

"Ram Gopal Agrawal is already in the custody of the ED and is being questioned. Despite this, the ED has been conducting a raid at his residence. This is nothing new for us. Opposition leaders are being targeted and raids are being conducted to scare and threaten them, " he asserted.

"Agrawal was arrested by the State's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) last month in connection with the alleged coal levy scam and was also being questioned in cases linked to the alleged liquor scam and rice custom milling, " authorities stated.

For context, the alleged scams took place during the previous Congress administration in the State when Mr. Agrawal was treasurer of the party's State unit, and are being probed by both the ED and the EOW.

"The ED arrested Agrawal on August 11 in connection with the money-laundering investigation linked to the alleged liquor scam while he was in jail as an undertrial in the EOW case, " authorities stated.

For context, the agency has alleged that a "criminal" syndicate involving senior bureaucrats and political figures had "completely hijacked" the State Excise Department, resulting in a loss of ₹2, 883 crore to the State exchequer.

So far, the ED has filed six charge sheets and named 81 accused, including former Excise Minister Kawasi Lakhma, Chaitanya Baghel, son of former CM Bhupesh Baghel, former Chhattisgarh Excise Commissioner Niranjan Das, retired IAS officer Anil Tuteja, and former Deputy Secretary in the Chief Minister's Office Saumya Chaurasia, among others.

In practice, the EOW has asserted that the proceeds of crime linked to the alleged liquor scam could exceed ₹3, 500 crore.

Taken together, the developments around liquor ' scam' case: ED searches residence of Chhattisgarh Congress leader days after point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.