Raipur: An Enforcement Directorate (ED) team was allegedly attacked and manhandled outside former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel’s residence in Durg on Monday.
The incident followed raids by the central agency at 14 locations in Durg district earlier in the day, including residential and other premises owned by Baghel and his son Chaitanya in connection with an investigation into an alleged liquor scam in Chhattisgarh.
According to ANI, agitated Congress workers clashed with police outside Baghel’s residence and raised slogans against ED. Some ED personnel, who came out after a daylong search, were manhandled, and their car surrounded and briefly stopped by a group of people.
Stones were thrown at ED officials’ car, with some images showing the windscreen with holes.
ED is likely to file a case against the protestors.
The former CM termed the raids as a “political vendetta” by the BJP-led Central government to “harass” the Opposition.
Baghel claimed that ED officials arrived at his Durg residence at 7.30 am while he was having his morning tea. When he asked for the Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) number, which is similar to an FIR, Baghel claimed he was not provided one.
“ED doesn’t have any Enforcement Case Information Report number. When we asked for it. They didn’t have an answer. Seven years back, a serious allegation was framed against me. Nothing was found in that case as the Supreme Court set me free. In this case they also won’t find anything,” Baghel said.
The Congress party said the raids against the Baghel family was a “conspiracy” to “manage headlines” on a day when Parliament’s Budget session reconvened and the government faced questions from the Opposition on multiple issues.
