Raipur, Jul 18 (PTI) Amid raids by the Enforcement Directorate at his premises, Former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel on Friday said central agencies were being misused to target opposition leaders, but he trusts the judiciary and will cooperate with them.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted fresh searches at the premises of Congress leader Baghel as part of an alleged liquor scam linked to a money laundering investigation against his son Chaitanya Baghel on Friday, official sources said.

Baghel's home in Bhilai town of Durg district, which the father-son duo share, was raided by the ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) following receipt of fresh evidence in the case.

Speaking to the media outside his Bhilai residence, Baghel said, "To please their master, Modi and Shah have sent the ED to my house. We are not going to be scared or bow down. Bhupesh Baghel won't be afraid. We will fight the battle of truth." "On one hand, in Bihar, voters are being removed (from the voters list) with the help of the Election Commission...democracy is being stripped, and on the other hand, they are misusing the ED, IT, CBI, DRI to suppress opposition leaders. But now, people of the country have understood and are well aware," he said.

The Congress leader said, "The ED had come in the past as well and raided my place and found Rs 33 lakh in my house. Now they have come again. What does this mean? We will fully cooperate, whether they trust or not, we believe in democracy and judiciary. They (BJP) are misusing the agency, but we will cooperate with them." He further questioned the timing of the raid, which coincided with his son Chaitanya's birthday.

"Nobody in any democracy in the world can give a birthday gift like the one Modi and Shah have given. On my birthday, both the most respected leaders sent the ED to the houses of my advisor and two OSDs. And now, on my son Chaitanya's birthday, an ED team is raiding my house. Thanks for these gifts. I will remember them for life," he said.

A heavy posse of police personnel was seen outside the house, even as some party supporters gathered.

The federal probe agency conducted similar raids against Chaitanya Baghel on March 10.

Earlier, Baghel, in a post on X, said the ED came to his home on the last day of the assembly session when the issue of trees being felled for a coal mine project of the Adani group in Tamnar tehsil of Raigarh district was to be raised.

The senior Baghel, earlier this month, visited the tehsil and extended support to local villagers who have been protesting against tree felling for a coal mine project in the area.

The mine is allotted to Maharashtra State Power Generation Company Limited (MAHAGENCO), which has contracted the MDO (mine developer cum operator) to the Adani group.

The ED earlier claimed that Chaitanya Baghel was suspected to be the "recipient" of the proceeds from the alleged liquor scam.

It has been said that the "scam" resulted in a "massive loss" to the state exchequer and filled the pockets of the beneficiaries of a liquor syndicate with over Rs 2,100 crore.

In this case, the ED, in January, arrested former minister and Congress leader Kawasi Lakhma, besides Anwar Dhebar, the elder brother of Raipur Mayor and Congress leader Aijaz Dhebar, former IAS officer Anil Tuteja, Indian Telecom Service (ITS) officer Arunpati Tripathi and some others as part of this investigation. PTI TKP VT ARU

Money laundering probe under PMLA prompts raids on opposition leader's residence amid allegations of agency misuse. Searches under the PMLA targeted the residence shared by the leader and his son after fresh evidence in an alleged liquor-related money laundering investigation; the agency alleges the son was a recipient of proceeds and prior searches and arrests have been made, while the political principal asserts misuse of central agencies but pledges cooperation with the investigation and trust in the judiciary.