The Chhattisgarh Police has filed a first information report naming former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel as an accused in the Mahadev betting app scam, reported Hindustan Times on Sunday.
Along with Baghel, “unnamed” bureaucrats, police officers and officers on special duty during his tenure as the chief minister are also included in the FIR.
Additionally, Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, the two main promoters of the Mahadev app, and 16 other named accused have been listed.
Mahadev Online Book, a betting app, reportedly enabled illegal betting in live games such as poker, cricket, tennis and football as well as on elections in India. In November, the Central government issued blocking orders against the app.
Baghel has been booked under sections of the Indian Penal Code pertaining to cheating, criminal conspiracy, breach of trust and forgery. He was also charged with Sections 7 and 11 of the Prevention of Corruption Act by the Economic Offences Wing in Raipur on March 4.
Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act states that obtaining, accepting or attempting to obtain an undue advantage by a public servant constitutes an offence. Section 11 deals with the punishment for such offences.
According to the FIR, the Mahadev app and its associate companies illegally collected Rs 450 crore worth of proceeds of crime every month, reported Hindustan Times.
In January, the Enforcement Directorate named Baghel in a supplementary chargesheet related to allegations of receiving bribes amounting to approximately Rs 508 crore from the promoters of the Mahadev App.
On November 3, the Enforcement Directorate arrested Aseem Das and a constable named Bhim Singh Yadav, four days before the first phase of Chhattisgarh Assembly elections. The authorities had seized Rs 5.39 crores in cash from Das’s car.
Following this, the central agency alleged that Baghel was paid Rs 508 crore by the cash courier sent from the United Arab Emirates by the promoters of the Mahadev app.
According to the agency, Das said in his statement that he came to Chhattisgarh capital of Raipur to deliver the money to “political executives” of the “Indian Congress party” on the instructions of Shubham Soni, one of the key accused in the Mahadev app case.
However, while in judicial custody, Das wrote a letter to the director of the Enforcement Directorate and sent copies to several authorities, including the prime minister’s office and the court, on November 17.
Das wrote that he was being implicated in the case and the central agency forced him to sign a statement in English, a language he does not understand. He also said that the money seized from the car was meant for starting a construction business. He admitted that he visited Dubai twice in October and the trips were arranged by Soni, a childhood friend.
The Enforcement Directorate said in January that Das had retracted his denial. According to the agency, Das told it that he withdrew his statement against Baghel “under influence” and believing it would help his case.
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