Former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel Named In Mahadev Betting App Case, Accused Of Receiving Rs 5.39 Crore Cash

Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has been named as an accused in the Mahadev betting app case. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has been investigating the case.

An FIR was filed by the state police earlier this month on ED's complaint that mentioned the app's promoters amassing around Rs 5,000 crore through illegal betting.

A supplementary Prosecution Complaint (PC) was filed by the central investigation agency in a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Raipur in January this year.

PC is equivalent to a chargesheet and named five people including Subham Soni, one of the promoters of Mahadev Online Book, and a driver named Asim Das for allegedly delivering cash to Baghel.

PC mentions that on being arrested on 3 December 2023, Soni asked Das to give Rs 5.39 crore to Baghel. It is alleged that this was "protection money", however, the Congress denies it.

Baghel has termed his name being in the charge sheet a "political conspiracy" and that "ED, at the behest of its political masters, is arresting people fraudulently and pressuring" people to give statements against him.

The FIR also mentions unnamed bureaucrats, police officers and Officers on Special Duty (OSD). Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal have been named as the main promoters of Mahadev Online Book.

They used to run operations from Dubai and a Red Corner Notice (RCN) has been issued against them to extradite them to India. The ED has frozen or seized Rs 1764.5 in the case till now.