Liquor 'scam' case: ED searches residence of Chhattisgarh Congress leader days after it arrests him
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) searched the residence of Chhattisgarh Congress leader Ram Gopal Agrawal, who is currently in custody regarding an alleged liquor scam. Congress party members staged protests, claiming the agency is being used to intimidate political opponents.
Why it matters
The incident reflects the ongoing political friction between the ruling central government and opposition parties regarding the use of federal investigative agencies.
“The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday (August 20, 2026) carried out a search at the residence of Congress leader Ram Gopal Agrawal, who was arrested by the Central agency last week in connection with an alleged liquor scam, in Chhattisgarh 's Dhamtari district,” officials said.
A large number of Congress leaders and workers, including Dhamtari MLA Omkar Sahu, gathered outside Mr. Agrawal's residence in the Audyogik Ward area in Raipur and staged a protest against the ED action. Congress leaders and workers raised slogans against the Central government and the ED.
The ED's raids are also under way at a few other locations in Raipur, but officials have not yet confirmed which case the searches are linked to.
Talking to reporters in Raipur, Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee president Deepak Baij alleged that Central probe agencies are being used to intimidate Opposition leaders.
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