Raipur, Aug 11 (PTI) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Chhattisgarh Congress leader Ramgopal Agrawal on Tuesday in connection with a money-laundering investigation linked to an alleged liquor scam in the state, officials said.

They said the ED produced Agrawal before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Raipur that sent him to the federal agency's custody for seven days.

The ED, according to the officials, told the court that Agrawal, a former treasurer of the party, is linked to proceeds of crime worth Rs 72 crore.

It said Agrawal did not appear before the ED in spite of the issuance of four summonses and was "evasive" during the latest questioning.

The Congress has asserted in the past that the investigation in this case is a political withchunt by the BJP-led Centre and that the charges made by the ED are false.

Agrawal was arrested in July by the Chhattisgarh Police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) in connection with certain cases related to the "scam".

According to the ED, the alleged liquor scam was orchestrated between 2019 and 2022, when Chhattisgarh had a Congress government led by Bhupesh Baghel.

The agency has alleged that a "criminal" syndicate, involving senior bureaucrats and political figures, had "completely hijacked" the Chhattisgarh excise department, resulting in a "massive loss" to the state exchequer to the tune of Rs 2,883 crore.

It has claimed that the alleged commission generated through illegal sale of liquor was shared "as per the directions from the highest political executives of the state".

The agency has so far filed seven chargesheets and named 85 accused, including Bhupesh Baghel's son Chaitanya Baghel, former Chhattisgarh excise commissioner Niranjan Das, former joint secretary Anil Tuteja, former excise minister Kawasi Lakhma and former deputy secretary in the Chief Minister's Office Saumya Chaurasia, among others. PTI NES RC