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Enforcement Directorate FIR names 4 IAS officers among 105 named in corruption case against Bhupesh Baghel regime  

The FIR is perhaps the biggest indictment of any government in the history of corruption in the country considering the complainant is ED which has provided all possible evidence of corruption against the Bhupesh Baghel government.

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By Neeraj Mishra

An FIR of unusual proportions has been registered by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Chhattisgarh and the complainant is the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The FIR is perhaps the biggest indictment of any government in the history of corruption in the country considering the complainant is the ED which has provided all possible evidence of corruption against the Bhupesh Baghel government. The FIR was finally registered on January 17 after the Baghel government had blocked it during its tenure.

Former chief secretary and adviser to Baghel, Vivek Dhand leads the procession of worthies named by the ED. The entire list of 105 names includes four IAS officers close to Baghel who were in-charge of coal mining and transportation in various capacities and his most important ally and OSD Saumya Chaurasia. Two out of 13 ministers in the Baghel cabinet and seven MLAs have also been named as has the Excise Commissioner and the owners of every brewery and distillery in the state. State Congress unit treasurer Ramgopal Agarwal and general secretary Vinod Tiwari and lastly at least five known scammers masquerading as businessmen close to Baghel find space in the list.

Apart from Dhand, the four IAS officers are Ranu Sahu, Sameer Bisnoi, N. Das and Anil Tuteja. The MLAs past and present are Shishupal Sodhi, Devendra Yadav, Amarjeet Bhagat, Brihaspat Singh, Chandradev Rai, Gulab Kamro and Kawasi Lakhma. Of these Lakhma and Bhagat were Cabinet Ministers. The distilleries are Chhattisgarh Distillery, Welcome Group and Bhatia Wines.

To take you back a little, the ED has been investigating two major scams in Chhattisgarh over the past two years. It concluded that the coal scam involving 35 officers and traders was worth about Rs 2000 crore a year. Its Excise Scam investigations revealed an even bigger figure of  Rs 5000 crore involving 70 plus accused. The Supreme Court however had granted the accused in the excise scam a stay against PMLA prosecution since there was no predicate offence on which the ED had based its case. The ED belatedly tried to register a case in Noida involving bottlers but it did not pass muster with the Supreme Court.

This became a shield for the excise scam accused as they all obtained bail from various courts. The mining scam accused, however, continue to be in jail. Prime among them are Chaurasia, Sahu and Bisnoi.

The ED had then turned towards the state ACB six months ago with all the evidence of corruption it had collected in its investigation. This also included evidence given to it by the Income Tax department. The Baghel government, under whom the ACB was then, refused to register the case. Now that the Vishnudev Sai government is in power two cases number 3 and 4/2024 have been registered. Ironically, the department is still run by retired DGP DM Awasthi who had been given re-appointment on a contractual basis by the Baghel government.

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Anirudh Ravichander to marry Kavya Maran in November, reception on November 21

Anirudh Ravichander and Kavya Maran are set to marry in November, with their Chennai wedding reception scheduled for November 21.

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Music composer Anirudh Ravichander and Sunrisers Hyderabad executive Kavya Maran are set to marry in November. Their wedding reception is scheduled to take place in Chennai on November 21, according to an announcement by Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s office.

The development followed a meeting between Revanth Reddy and Kavya’s parents, Sun Group chairman Kalanithi Maran and Kavery Maran, at the chief minister’s residence in Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad.

According to the Telangana Chief Minister’s Office, the couple’s reception is scheduled for November 21, with Kavya’s parents extending an invitation to the chief minister.

Telangana CM’s office announces reception date

The Telangana CMO shared photographs and videos of the meeting on its official social media account on October 16. The announcement stated that Kalanithi Maran and his wife had met Revanth Reddy to invite him to their daughter’s wedding reception.

The post specifically confirmed that the reception of Kavya Maran and Anirudh Ravichander would be held in Chennai on November 21.

The announcement provided an official confirmation of the reception date and venue, while details about the wedding ceremony itself have also been reported separately.

Who are Anirudh Ravichander and Kavya Maran?

Anirudh Ravichander is a prominent music composer in the Indian film industry. He gained widespread recognition with the song “Why This Kolaveri Di” and has since composed music for several major films, including Leo, Indian 2, Vettaiyan, Vidaamuyarchi and Coolie.

Kavya Maran is the daughter of Kalanithi Maran, chairman of the Sun Group. She serves as an executive director at Sun TV Network and is widely recognised in cricket circles for her association with Sunrisers Hyderabad, the IPL franchise.

Wedding rumours and reported ceremony details

Speculation about a possible marriage between Anirudh Ravichander and Kavya Maran had circulated before the latest announcement. Earlier reports in August 2026 discussed the possibility of a November wedding in Greece.

A subsequent report said the wedding was reportedly scheduled to take place in Greece on November 11. However, the couple had not directly confirmed their wedding plans in the cited report.

The Telangana Chief Minister’s Office has confirmed that the reception is scheduled for November 21 in Chennai. The reported wedding ceremony details should therefore be attributed to reports rather than presented as officially confirmed information.

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ED summons Pinarayi Vijayan in money laundering case

The Enforcement Directorate has summoned former Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan for questioning in a money-laundering investigation linked to alleged payments by Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd to his daughter’s company, Exalogic Solutions.

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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned former Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan for questioning in connection with a money-laundering investigation linked to Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL). Officials said he has been asked to appear before the agency at its Kochi office on October 23.

The summons has been issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The investigation concerns alleged payments by CMRL to Exalogic Solutions, a now-defunct company associated with Vijayan’s daughter, Veena T.

The development comes after Kerala’s Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) registered cases against Vijayan and members of his family in connection with the alleged bribery case.

What is the CMRL-Exalogic case?

The case centres on alleged payments made by CMRL to Exalogic Solutions under the guise of information technology consultancy services.

According to the ED, CMRL allegedly made fraudulent payments of Rs. 2.78 crore to the company. The agency is examining the financial transactions as part of its money-laundering investigation. These remain allegations and should not be treated as established criminal wrongdoing.

The matter came before the Kerala High Court, which on October 9 directed the VACB to register a case based on material submitted by the ED. The state agency subsequently registered cases involving Vijayan and his family members.

Pinarayi Vijayan challenges FIR order

Vijayan approached the Supreme Court on October 16, challenging the Kerala High Court order directing the registration of an FIR against him.

The legal challenge followed developments in the state courts concerning the alleged CMRL-Exalogic transactions. The ED’s summons is a separate step in its investigation under the anti-money-laundering law.

The case involves allegations of financial irregularities linked to payments to Exalogic Solutions. The investigation and legal proceedings are ongoing; the summons itself does not establish guilt.

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LK Advani, 98, hospitalised in Delhi with chest infection

Veteran BJP leader LK Advani, 98, has been admitted to Delhi’s Indraprastha Apollo Hospital with a chest infection. Hospital officials said his condition was stable.

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Veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani has been admitted to Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in Delhi with a chest infection. Hospital officials have said that his condition is stable.

The 98-year-old leader was brought to the hospital at around 7.30 pm on Friday, October 16, and admitted to its pulmonary department. He is receiving treatment and remains under observation by a team of doctors, with medical tests underway.

LK Advani’s recent hospitalisation

Advani was previously admitted to Apollo Hospital in May 2026 because of age-related health complications. He remained under medical care for a few days before being discharged, according to the report.

In December 2024, the veteran BJP leader was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital for medical management and investigations. He received treatment under the supervision of a neurologist, and the hospital had described his condition as stable at the time.

On December 17, 2024, the hospital reported gradual improvement and indicated that he was likely to be moved out of the ICU within the next one to two days.

Advani’s political career

Advani has been a prominent figure in the BJP’s rise in Indian politics. He served as the party’s president on multiple occasions and played a significant role in expanding its organisational presence.

His 1990 Ram Rath Yatra became a major event in the country’s political history. He later served as Union Home Minister and was India’s Deputy Prime Minister from 2002 to 2004 in the government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

In recognition of his contribution to public life, Advani was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour, in 2024. He had previously received the Padma Vibhushan in 2015.

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