Written by Anand Mohan JBhopal | December 9, 2025 06:25 PM IST 3 min readThe breakthrough followed a tip-off that led investigators to what appears to be a broader smuggling operationArrests in a drug smuggling case set off a political firestorm in Madhya Pradesh, with the opposition Congress claiming that the main accused is the brother of a state minister, seizing on the scandal to challenge the ruling BJP’s law-and-order credentials.State Urban Development Minister Pratima Bagri, however, sought to distance herself from the accused, Anil Bagri.Amil was taken into custody on Monday, following a police raid that allegedly uncovered 46 kilograms of cannabis hidden in rice sacks. The seizure, valued at nearly Rs 9.23 lakh, came from a tin shed adjacent to the residence of alleged distributor Pankaj Singh Baghel in the Rampur Baghelan area.The breakthrough followed a tip-off that led investigators to what appears to be a broader smuggling operation. “Under questioning, Baghel implicated both Anil Bagri and another suspect, Shailendra Singh, as his suppliers,” said Additional Superintendent of Police Premlal Kurve.“Pankaj Singh Baghel hid four sacks of cannabis; we got the information and recovered 12 packets weighing 46 kg and estimated to cost Rs 9 lakh. A case was registered under the NDPS Act. He informed us that he got it from Anil Bagri,” Kurve said.State Congress President Jitu Patwari took to X to attack Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, who also serves as Home Minister.“Is accountability so complex that links to ganja smuggling continue to emerge from a minister’s home, while the Madhya Pradesh Home Minister remains silent?” Patwari wrote. “Is the ‘double engine’ now also a transport model for drug trafficking?”Story continues below this adResponding to the controversy, minister Pratima Bagri said, “The police are doing their job, and criminals who have done wrong, whether they are someone’s relative or not, cannot be spared. The police administration is fully carrying out its duties, and all decisions will be made accordingly. The strictest action will be taken.”The scandal comes at a time when the BJP government has positioned itself as tough on crime. Said a senior BJP leader, “Every minister is going through a performance review as talks of cabinet expansion are underway. For Bagri, the coming days will test whether her portfolio survives.”The Congress made it clear it intends to keep up the pressure in demanding answers about how such activities could flourish with apparent connections to the corridors of power.Bagri is the Minister of State for Urban Development and Housing and is a member of the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly from the Raigaon constituency (a seat reserved for the SC community) in Satna district. She won her seat in the 2023 elections by defeating Congress candidate Kalpana Varma by 36,060 votes. She is one of the youngest members of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav’s cabinet, having been appointed as a minister on December 25, 2023.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:Congress