Senior Congress leader and former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel on Saturday said his son hadn’t received any notice from the Enforcement Directorate to appear before it in connection with an alleged liquor scam linked to a money laundering case in the state.

Baghel’s statement has come amid reports that his son Chaitanya was summoned to appear before the agency on Saturday to record his statement.

Media persons gathered outside the Baghel residence in Bhilai and the ED office in Raipur since the morning.

Asked if his son would appear before the probe agency, Bhupesh Baghel said the question of going to the ED office did not arise if he (Chaitanya) hadn’t received a notice.

He said when summons are served, they will be complied with.

Talking to reporters outside his home in Bhilai, the Congress leader said, “It is the ED’s job to create a media hype... the agency is being used to defame people. So far, they have been doing the same. There was a CD case against me for seven years. Recently, the court discharged me of all charges. This is a BJP conspiracy to defame a politician.”

On March 10, the ED raided the Baghel residence in Bhilai town as part of the probe into a money laundering allegation against his son in the alleged liquor scam case, official sources had said.

The searches went on for about eight hours, during which the ED seized about ₹30 lakh cash and some documents, sources said. Following the raids, there were unconfirmed reports that the ED had summoned Chaitanya to record his statement on Saturday.

Bhupesh Baghel, who was present at his house during searches, has claimed that the probe agency’s action was the outcome of the BJP’s frustration.