ED searched Congress leader Ram Gopal Agrawal’s residence in Dhamtari, with raids also underway at locations in Raipur.
Congress workers protested the searches, while state party chief Deepak Baij alleged political vendetta by central agencies.
Agrawal, arrested on August 11, faces probes linked to alleged liquor, coal levy and rice custom milling scams.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday searched the residence of Congress leader Ram Gopal Agrawal in Chhattisgarh's Dhamtari district. The search at Agrawal's residence in the Audyogik Ward area triggered protests by Congress leaders and workers, including Dhamtari MLA Omkar Sahu, who raised slogans against the central government and the agency.
The ED arrested Agrawal on August 11, 2026, in connection with an alleged liquor scam while he was in jail as an undertrial in an Economic Offences Wing (EOW) case, as PTI reported.
The ED’s raids are also underway at a few other locations in Raipur, but officials have not yet confirmed which case the searches are linked to.
Congress Alleges Political Vendetta
Talking to reporters in Raipur, Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee president Deepak Baij alleged that central probe agencies are being used to intimidate opposition leaders.
Baij told PTI, "ED and CBI action in Chhattisgarh is no longer a new thing. ED, CBI, Income Tax and other agencies have made it a routine to target and intimidate opposition leaders."
He added, "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."
Agrawal's Legal Troubles
Agrawal served as the treasurer of the state Congress unit during the previous state government. State and central agencies are investigating him for multiple financial irregularities.
Last month, the state's EOW arrested Agrawal in connection with an alleged coal levy scam. He is also being questioned in cases linked to the alleged liquor scam and rice custom milling, officials stated.
Liquor Scam Allegations
According to the ED, the alleged liquor scam was orchestrated between 2019 and 2022, when Chhattisgarh was governed by a Congress government led by the then Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. 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.
The EOW has informed that the proceeds of crime linked to the alleged liquor scam could exceed ₹3,500 crore.
The ED has filed six chargesheets 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.
