Mahadev betting app have reportedly disbursed approximately Rs 508 crore to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel to date. The ED is currently investigating these allegations.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has put forth startling allegations, asserting that a forensic analysis and a statement from a ‘cash courier’ reveal that the promoters of the Mahadev betting app have reportedly disbursed approximately Rs 508 crore to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel to date. The ED is currently investigating these allegations.
The alleged agent, Asim Das, has been apprehended by the agency in Raipur after it seized Rs 5.39 crore in cash from him. He was purportedly dispatched by the app promoters from the UAE, specifically to deliver a substantial amount of cash for the election expenses of the ruling Congress Party.
The agency stated, “Asim Das has admitted that the seized funds were arranged by the Mahadev app promoters to be delivered to a politician known as ‘Baghel’ for upcoming election expenses in the state of Chhattisgarh.”
From Das’s interrogation and the forensic examination of his phone, as well as an email sent by Shubam Soni, one of the key accused in the Mahadev network, a series of startling allegations have emerged. Notably, these allegations suggest that regular payments have been made in the past, and up to Rs 508 crore have been disbursed by the Mahadev app promoters to Bhupesh Baghel, the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh. The ED emphasizes that these claims are currently under investigation.
Furthermore, the ED has previously indicated that the illicit funds generated by the app were used to provide bribes to politicians and bureaucrats in the state. The agency has summoned various celebrities and Bollywood actors for questioning regarding the mode of payment and their connections to the online betting platform.
The ED reported that Das was intercepted on the basis of intelligence input, indicating the movement of a significant amount of cash by Mahadev app promoters in Chhattisgarh in preparation for the assembly elections scheduled for November 7 and November 17. The cash was seized from an SUV parked at Hotel Triton and a location in Bhilai, Durg district.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has previously alleged that central agencies, such as the ED, were operating at the behest of the BJP-led central government to target opposition parties and their leaders.
Additionally, the agency has revealed the discovery of certain benami bank accounts associated with the Mahadev app, where Rs 15.59 crore has been frozen under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) .
