Former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel Booked In Mahadev App Case: Report

Bhupesh Baghel, along with Mahadev promoters Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, and 16 others, have been named as accused in the first information report. Earlier, police had arrested one accused named Mrigank Mishra.

The Economic Offences Wing of Raipur Police has registered an FIR against former Chattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel and others in the Mahadev betting app case. According to reports, the case has been registered under sections 120B, 34, 406, 420, 467, 468, and 471 of IPC. The case was registered on March 4 against Bhupesh Baghel and 21 others, reported ANI. 'Mahadev Book Online' app scam is estimated to be worth around Rs 6,000 crore with the betting app illegally collecting Rs 450 crore worth of proceeds of crime every month.

Baghel, along with Mahadev promoters Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, and 16 others, have been named as accused in the first information report. Additionally, unnamed bureaucrats, police officers, and officers who served during the ex-CM's tenure have also been charged with offences including cheating, criminal conspiracy, breach of trust, and forgery under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), along with sections 7 and 11 of the Prevention of Corruption Act. In January, Baghel was also named in a supplementary chargesheet by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) regarding allegations of receiving bribes totalling approximately Rs 508 crore from the Mahadev app promoters in the UAE.

Congress Fields Baghel In Lok Sabha

Congress has fielded Bhupesh Baghel from the Rajnandgaon Lok Sabha seat in Chhattisgarh, a BJP bastion for more than three decades and seen as the turf of its former three-time CM Raman Singh. He is locked in a contest with BJP's sitting MP Santosh Pandey. 

Mahadev App Scam Background

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) initiated an investigation in July 2022 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) into the Mahadev Book Online Betting App. The investigation alleged that the app's promoters, Saurabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, who reside abroad, were overseeing illegal betting operations remotely, with proceeds of crimes amounting to several thousand crores. According to the ED, the Mahadev online book betting application serves as an umbrella syndicate facilitating various illegal betting websites through online platforms.

The agency stated that the alleged illicit funds generated by the app were utilized for paying bribes to politicians and bureaucrats in Chhattisgarh. The promoters of the company originate from Bhilai in Chhattisgarh. So far, a total of nine individuals have been apprehended by the ED in connection with this case. According to the ED's investigation, the Mahadev Online Book App is operated from a central headquarters in the UAE. It functions by franchising "Panel/Branches" to their known associates on a profit ratio of 70-30 percent.

ED Claims Hawala Operations

The agency further noted that large-scale hawala operations are conducted to transfer the proceeds of betting to offshore accounts. Additionally, substantial cash expenditure is made in India for advertising betting websites to attract new users and franchise seekers. On November 3 of the preceding year, the federal agency arrested alleged courier Asim Das, a driver, and a constable named Bhim Singh Yadav at a Raipur hotel, just four days before the first phase of Chhattisgarh Assembly elections. Authorities seized Rs 5.39 crores in cash from Das’s car.

Mahadev App: Rajasthan Connection

The recent action comes months after arrest of another accused in a similar case. The Pratapgarh district police in Rajasthan have arrested Mrigank Mishra, the alleged operator of the infamous Mahadev app used for betting, from Mumbai Airport. As per reports, the accused lured poor people by promising them benefits from government schemes and opened bank accounts in their names. He then used these accounts to process betting transactions worth ?2,000 crore across 90 accounts. According to Pratapgarh SP Amit Kumar Budania, Mrigank Mishra operated from Dubai, primarily running online betting on cricket matches. Originally from Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh, Mrigank has manipulated crores of rupees so far.

Meanwhile, the Mahadev app promoters Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal were apprehended in Dubai based on an Interpol red notice issued at the request of the ED. The agency is currently endeavouring to deport or extradite them from the UAE to India. (With PTI Inputs)