Raipur: Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel’s Political Advisor Vinod Verma, after being raided by Enforcement Directorate (ED) sleuths levelled serious allegations against the central investigating agency and accused the agency of carrying out loot in his official residence on Wednesday.
While addressing a press conference on Thursday at state Congress party office Rajiv Bhawan, 57-year-old Vinod Verma, who started his journalism career in 1987, said, “Every dust in my house is earned by hard work. I spent much of my time in the journalism field. My political career is smaller than journalism.”
On the seizure of jewellery, he said, “I was procured from 2005 to 2023. Despite giving bills, the ED officials seized it. They were not satisfied with the bills and sought details of mode of payment.”
“The basis of the ED raid is a story published in Jagat Vision magazine in its edition in October, 2022. Already a complaint was lodged and will move legally against the editor of the magazine,” he said.
In connection with Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) Chandrabhushan Verma of Chhattisgarh Police, arrested by the ED under the provisions of PMLA 2002 in the ongoing money laundering investigation into the Mahadev Online Book APP case, Verma said, “He is not my relative. Had met him two years ago.”
He alleged that the BJP led central government is targeting the close aides of Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. It is an effort to trample the opposition at the national level. They are using central agencies for it.
Political Advisor Verma further said that he would be happy if ED brings evidence against him and proves him wrong in the case.
