Chhattisgarh Police Questions Former CM Bhupesh Baghel's Son In Attempt To Murder Case

Chaitanya Baghel, son of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, was on Thursday questioned by the police team of Durg district in connection with an alleged attempt to murder of a Bhilai-based college professor. The alleged attempt to murder was registered at the Old Bhilai Police Station earlier this year, in which the police summoned Chaitanya to reach the police station at around 11 am on Thursday. He was later released in the evening after hours of questioning.

The case dates back to July, when a group of armed individuals allegedly attacked Vinod Sharma, a professor at Khubchand Baghel PG College in Bhilai. Sharma was reportedly assaulted near a paan shop while on his way home.

This development comes shortly after Bhupesh Baghel, the former Chief Minister, penned a letter to Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, alleging that both state and central agencies were being "misused" to target him and his family.

Durg Superintendent of Police Jitendra Shukla confirmed to *The Indian Express* that Chaitanya Baghel had been questioned to determine any potential involvement in the attack on Sharma. "His name surfaced during the investigation," Shukla said.

According to the First Information Report (FIR) filed on July 19, the incident occurred when four assailants on motorcycles stopped at a paan shop where Sharma had paused. They then proceeded to assault and verbally abuse him. The professor’s driver, 25-year-old Hemant Baghel, attempted to intervene but was also beaten by the attackers. Hemant later managed to summon help and took Sharma to a local hospital for treatment.

Following Hemant’s complaint, an FIR was lodged against the four unidentified assailants under various sections of the Bharat Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

It is being said that Chaitanya Baghel’s phone was confiscated by the investigators as part of the probe. Meanwhile, the Congress party condemned the investigation, labelling it as an attack on Bhupesh Baghel.