Mahadev betting app scam: ED alleges promoters of Mahadev betting app transferred Rs 508 crore to Chhattisgarh CM Baghel
Mahadev betting app scam: In a significant development, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has alleged that a cash courier carrying over ₹5 crore has confessed that the promoters of the Mahadev betting app transferred ₹508 crore to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. The courier stated that the money was intended for election expenses in the state of Chhattisgarh. These startling allegations have emerged just four days before the first phase of elections in the state.
According to the ED, it received intelligence indicating that a substantial sum of money was being transported in Chhattisgarh by the Mahadev App's promoters in preparation for the state's elections.
On Thursday, the agency conducted search operations at Hotel Triton and another location in Bhilai, where they successfully intercepted a cash courier named Asim Das. He was specifically sent from the UAE to deliver a significant amount of cash for the electioneering expenses of the ruling Congress Party.
_ab7736bbb6a3baebcf25587a59ca93a7_1280X720.webp)
The ED disclosed that Rs5.39 crore was seized from Das's car and residence, and he acknowledged that the money had been arranged by the promoters of the Mahadev App, who are based in the UAE, for delivery to a politician identified as 'Baghel' for upcoming election expenses in Chhattisgarh. Several benami bank accounts connected to the betting app were also uncovered, with Rs 15.59 crore frozen in them.
Das was subsequently arrested, and during his questioning, the forensic examination of his phone, as well as an examination of an email sent by Shubam Soni, a high-ranking individual in the Mahadev network, revealed that "regular payments have been made in the past, with a total of approximately ₹508 crore being paid by Mahadev App Promoters to Bhupesh Baghel, Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh." The ED emphasized that these allegations are currently under investigation.
Furthermore, the ED questioned and detained Police Constable Bheem Yadav. The agency's investigation found that in the past three years, Yadav had traveled to Dubai without authorization and met with Mahadev App promoters Ravi Uppal and Sourabh Chandrakar. Yadav had also taken part in events linked to the Mahadev app, and his travel expenses had been covered by M/s Rapid Travels, owned by the Ahuja Brothers, an alleged money laundering and ticketing company associated with the Mahadev App.
The ED stated that Yadav served as a conduit for receiving bribes from Mahadev App promoters, intended for senior officers and politicians in Chhattisgarh.
Both Das and Yadav were presented in court, where the ED was granted custody of them for seven days.
In its ongoing investigation into the Mahadev App case, the ED has already arrested four individuals and seized "proceeds of crime" worth more than Rs 450 crore.
In September, the ED had discovered gold bars, jewelry, and cash totaling Rs 417 crore during searches at 39 locations connected to the betting app. The promoters of the app, Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, hail from Bhilai in Chhattisgarh and are currently based in the UAE.
The agency had previously stated that the app was facilitating transactions in the thousands of crores and generating a daily profit of Rs 200 crore. Celebrities such as Ranbir Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, and Kapil Sharma have been summoned or questioned regarding their participation in Sourabh Chandrakar's ₹200-crore wedding in the UAE in February, with payments allegedly made through hawala transactions.
The first phase of polling in Chhattisgarh is scheduled for November 7, with the second phase set for November 17.
- With inputs from agencies
