Ex-Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel blames BJP for FIR against him in Mahadev betting app case

Raipur, March 18: Congress leader and former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel on Sunday blamed the BJP after an FIR was registered against him in connection with the Mahadev betting app case.

Baghel has termed the development as an attempt by the BJP to tarnish his image.

Interacting with the mediapersons, Baghel said a question also arises as to why the matter was made public on March 17 while the case was registered on March 4.

Baghel claimed the BJP has realised that it is going to lose in the Rajnandgaon Lok Sabha constituency, and therefore, "a conspiracy was planned" to tarnish his image.

"After repeated surveys, BJP is well aware that it is going to lose in the Rajnandgaon Lok Sabha seat," he said.

The Congress has fielded Bhupesh Baghel from Rajnandgaon constituency in Chhattisgarh.

"When you mention the officers who worked on my instructions are involved in the case, why were their names not disclosed?" he questioned.

Notably, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Chhattisgarh Police has booked ex-CM Baghel and 20 others in connection with the alleged Mahadev betting app case.

Those booked in the case include Mahadev App promoters Ravi Uppal, Saurabh Chandrakar, Shubham Soni, Anil Kumar Agrawal, some police officers and bureaucrats of Bhupesh Baghel's regime.

The development came after the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is investigating the case and has already arrested several accused in the case, and submitted a report to the state police.

Some of the accused persons named in the FIR are from Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and Kolkata.

In January, Bhupesh Baghel was named in a supplementary chargesheet by the ED regarding allegations of receiving bribes, approximately Rs 508 crore, from the Mahadev app promoters in the UAE.

The ED had started an investigation into the matter in July 2022 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

During investigation, it was found that Saurabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, who reside abroad, were overseeing illegal betting operations remotely, with proceeds of crimes amounting to several thousand crores.