Based on an investigation report provided by the ED, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) in Chhattisgarh has filed a complaint against former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and others in the suspected Mahadev internet betting scam, authorities announced on Sunday.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which has been looking into the money laundering case connected to the Mahadev app for more than a year, has previously claimed that its investigation has revealed the involvement of several high-ranking officials and politicians from Chhattisgarh, the state from which the two major app promoters are originally. The ED estimates that the proceeds of crime in this case are around ₹ 6,000 crore.
Bhupesh Baghel, also known as Kaka, is an Indian politician who served as the 3rd Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh from 2018 to 2023. He was president of Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress from 2014 to 2019. Baghel represented the Patan constituency in the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly since 2013 and from 2003 to 2008. He was also the first Minister for Revenue, Public Health Engineering, and Relief Work of Chhattisgarh.
However, Bhupesh Baghel, a prominent political figure, began his political career in the Indian Youth Congress and later became a member of the All-India Congress Committee. He served as the General Secretary and Program Coordinator of the Pradesh Congress Committee. Baghel was elected to the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly in Patan in 1993 and was later appointed as Minister of State, Chief Minister related, Public Grievances Redressal, M.P.
Governance, and Minister of Transport.After the formation of Chhattisgarh in 2000, Baghel became a member of the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly and served as Minister of Revenue Rehabilitation, Relief Work, and Public Health Mechanics. He won the Patan Vidhan Sabha seat in the 2013 election and became a member of the Working Committee of the Chhattisgarh Assembly.
Ex-CM of Chhattisgarh Bhupesh Baghel mentioned in the FIR
In the online Mahadev App betting fraud case, the Chhattisgarh police on Sunday filed a formal complaint against former chief minister Bhupesh Baghel. Despite having been filed on March 4, the FIR was only made public on Sunday, the day following the announcement of the Lok Sabha election dates. In the Rajnandgaon constituency, where voting is scheduled on April 26, Baghel is the Congress candidate.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has been investigating the Mahadev App betting scam, which is believed to be worth over Rs 6,000 crore. Baghel, a key accused, has been deliberately inserted into a political FIR, claiming that the case was registered in Raipur on March 4. The investigation alleged senior politicians and bureaucrats facilitated the betting in exchange for “protection money.” The maximum action against Mahadev App has been taken in Chhattisgarh during the Congress regime.
The ED has registered a FIR against Congress leader Baghel, app promoters Ravi Uppal, Saurabh Chandrakar, Shubham Soni, and 14 others at the EOW police station in India. The case, which has projected proceeds of Rs 6,000 crore, has been investigated by the state’s Economic Offences Wing/Anti-Corruption Bureau. The case has been registered under various Indian Penal Code Sections, including criminal conspiracy, cheating, and using forged documents, and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018.
Twenty other individuals arrested
Congressman from Rajnandgaon constituency in Chhattisgarh, for alleged bribery of approximately Rs 508 crore from Mahadev app promoters in the UAE. The Economic Offence Wing (EOW) of Chhattisgarh police registered the FIR on March 4, and all accused persons have been booked under Sections 120B, 34, 406, 420, 467, 468, and 471 of IPC.
Saurabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, who reside abroad, were found to be overseeing illegal betting operations remotely, with proceeds amounting to several thousand crores. However, fake documents were used by app promoters and panel operators of the Mahadev Book App to open bank accounts for illegally obtained money. These accounts were operated on commission and transferred to promoters in the UAE.
The app promoters spent a significant amount of money on advertising betting websites and organizing star-studded events. The illegal money was then invested in various companies, shell companies, stock markets, and crypto currency. The FIR reported that the money was used to fund the scam.
