Liquor scam case: ED seeks fresh remand of Chaitanya Baghel, hearing deferred till Tuesday

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Raipur, Aug 18 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday sought fresh custodial remand of Chaitanya Baghel, son of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, as his 14-day interrogation period in the alleged Rs 2,100 crore liquor scam came to an end.

However, the special court deferred the hearing to Tuesday following the reported demise of a senior Bar Council member. With the hearing deferred and no decision taken, Chaitanya remains in jail under judicial custody for another day.

Chaitanya Baghel was arrested on July 18 following ED raids at his Bhilai residence. The agency alleges he played a central role in laundering over Rs 1,000 crore of illicit proceeds from a liquor syndicate that operated between 2019 and 2022 during the Congress-led government.

According to the ED, Rs 16.7 crore was funnelled into real estate projects to mask the origin of the funds. The alleged scam involved off-the-books sales of country-made liquor through government-run shops, manipulation of FL-10A licences for foreign liquor, and cartel-like practices facilitated by the Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation Limited (CSMCL).

The ED claims the syndicate collected commissions from distillers and vendors, bypassing the state exchequer entirely.

Meanwhile, Bhupesh Baghel’s legal challenge to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) suffered a setback.

On Monday, the Supreme Court refused to entertain his petition questioning the constitutional validity of Sections 44, 50, and 63 of the Act. A bench led by Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi advised Baghel to approach the Chhattisgarh High Court.

Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing the Baghels, argued that the ED’s piecemeal charge sheets and prolonged investigations violated fundamental rights and delayed trial. The bench, however, maintained that further investigation could benefit the accused if conducted within legal bounds.

As the legal battle intensifies, Tuesday’s hearing will determine whether Chaitanya Baghel returns to ED custody or remains in judicial remand. The case continues to stir political and legal debate, with implications for both state governance and the broader interpretation of investigative powers under PMLA.

–IANS

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Gurugram, April 19 (IANS) Gurugram Police said on Saturday that the accused in the air hostess sexual assault case was a porn addict, an official said.

Gurugram Police Spokesperson Sandeep Kumar said that the accused used to watch porn videos habitually, which was also confirmed from the mobile phone recovered from him.

He said that during police interrogation, it was found that the accused has a B.Sc. (OT) degree from a private institute from the years 2019-2022, and he was an average student in studies.

“For the last five months, he was working as a treatment machine technician in the ICU of the hospital. The accused going to the victim at the time of the incident was confirmed from the CCTV cameras installed in the hospital,” he said.

The Spokesperson said that during interrogation of the accused, it was also found that he had watched porn videos before the incident and even after committing the crime.

“Which is also being confirmed from the search history of the accused’s mobile phone. He was produced before the court on Saturday, from where he was sent to judicial custody for further proceedings,” he said.

Meanwhile, the SIT on Friday nabbed the accused, after analysing at least 800 CCTV cameras installed inside and outside of the hospital, who sexually assaulted the woman when she was on a ventilator.

The accused was identified as Deepak (25), a native of Muzaffarpur in Bihar. The accused had been working as a treatment machine technician in the ICU of the hospital for the past five months and was arrested in the Sadar police station area on Friday.

An official privy to the investigation said that the accused has confessed to his crime in the matter.

“While investigating the incident, eight police teams checked the footage of 800 CCTV cameras installed in the hospital, and around 50 hospital staff, including doctors, were questioned about the incident. Keeping in mind the seriousness of the incident, the police teams investigated from every angle and collected a lot of information related to the incident, as a result of which the police got great success in identifying the accused who committed the crime,” said Arpit Jain, DCP (Headquarters).

On Thursday, Vikas Kumar Arora, Commissioner of Police, Gurugram, had constituted an SIT and ordered the identification and arrest of the accused.

As per the order of the Police Commissioner, an SIT was constituted under the leadership of Arpit Jain, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Headquarters, Gurugram, in which a total of eight different police teams were given special directions and deployed to collect information and evidence related to the incident.

Dr. Sanjay Durani, Medical Superintendent of the hospital, said in a statement that: “We have been informed that the police have identified a suspect who has been taken into custody in connection with the ongoing investigation concerning allegations of sexual assault on a patient. On the basis of information provided to us by the police, we have suspended the suspect employee. As we await the final outcome of the investigation, we will continue to provide full support to the police.”

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Case registered in anti-piracy crackdown over leaked movie ‘Chhaava’

Mumbai, March 20 (IANS) A case has been registered by the South Cyber Police Station of Mumbai crime branch following a complaint by Rajat Rahul Haksar, the CEO of August Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., an anti-piracy agency working for Maddock Films Pvt. Ltd. The complaint pertains to the unauthorised circulation of the Hindi movie ‘Chhaava’, which was illegally made available on various digital platforms.

‘Chhaava’, a much-anticipated Hindi film, released across India on February 14, 2025. It has become the latest victim of piracy. According to the complainant, the film was unlawfully distributed through a staggering 1,818 internet links, thereby breaching copyright laws and severely undermining the film’s legitimate theatrical release.

The issue of online piracy has been a growing concern for the entertainment industry, and the illegal dissemination of Chhaava highlights the magnitude of the problem.

The film, which is expected to generate significant box office revenue, has now been impacted by widespread illegal access. Authorities are actively investigating the matter to identify and take action against those responsible for the unauthorized distribution.

In response to the incident, a case has been officially registered under CR No. 23/2025, encompassing multiple serious offenses.

These include violations under Sections 316(2) and 308(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Sections 51, 63, and 65A of the Copyright Act, which address the infringement and illegal distribution of copyrighted content.

The case also includes provisions from Section 6AA of the Cinematograph Act, 1952 (Amendment 2023), designed to protect cinematic works from unauthorised digital distribution. Moreover offences under Sections 43 and 66 of the Information Technology Act, which deal with cybercrimes and electronic data theft, have been invoked.

The police have assured that the investigation is progressing, and steps will be taken to track down the perpetrators involved in the illegal circulation of ‘Chhaava’.

Authorities are also emphasizing the importance of stringent measures to curb online piracy and safeguard the rights of content creators in the digital age.

Further updates on the investigation are awaited as the police continue to probe the case.

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In ‘war of supremacy’, SGPC removes Akal Takht Jathedar

Amritsar, March 7 (IANS) In the ongoing “war of supremacy”, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on Friday appointed Sikh preacher Kuldeep Singh Gargaj as the acting Jathedar (high priest) of the Akal Takht, replacing incumbent Giani Raghbir Singh.

The development comes after the SGPC removed Giani Harpreet Singh from his post as Jathedar of Takht Sri Damdama Sahib in February.

The decision was taken unanimously at the executive meeting of the SGPC, the gurdwara body, also known as the Sikh mini parliament, here.

Besides Gargaj, the SGPC also removed Giani Sultan Singh as the Jathedar of the Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib. The Akal Takht in Amritsar and the Takht Kesgarh Sahib at Anandpur Sahib are two of the five seats of the temporal authority of Sikhism.

However, Giani Raghbir Singh and Giani Sultan Singh will continue as the Head Granthi and the Granthi of the Golden Temple, respectively.

“Kuldeep Singh Gargaj is appointed Jathedar of Takht Kesgarh Sahib with officiating charge as Akal Takht Jathedar. SGPC member Tek Singh Dhanaula will serve as Takht Damdama Sahib’s Jathedar,” an SGPC spokesperson told the media.

Giani Gargaj, 40, has been a ‘katha vachak’ since 2001.

Meanwhile, the decision on SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami’s resignation was kept pending. The SGPC budget session will be held on March 28.

The “cause of provocation” for removing Giani Raghbir Singh was his objection to the SGPC’s decision to sack Giani Harpreet Singh, leading to Dhami resigning as the SGPC chief.

Amid the crisis between the Akal Takht, the supreme temporal seat of Sikhs, and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), SGPC President Dhami resigned from his post on February 17.

Saying he has resigned as a token of respect for the Akal Takht Jathedar, Giani Raghbir Singh, Dhami, who is known for his proximity with the Badal family, also offered to step down from the seven-member committee formed by the Akal Takht Jathedar in December last for reorganisation of the Akali Dal.

Dhami had been facing “criticism” from the Akal Takht Jathedar for removing Giani Harpreet Singh as the Jathedar of Takht Damdama Sahib.

The resignation of Dhami is seen as a setback for the Akali Dal that had “put pressure” on the SGPC executive committee to remove Giani Harpreet Singh as he played a key role in last year’s decree of the Sikh clergy in which tankhah (religious punishment) was given to Sukhbir Badal and other Akali leaders.

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