Bhupesh Baghel Paid Rs 508 Cr by Mahadev Betting App Promoters: ED in Fresh Chargesheet

Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has been named in the fresh chargesheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection to the money laundering case investigation linked to the alleged illegal betting and gaming through the Mahadev online book app, sources informed on Saturday.

The development came after the investigation agency filed a fresh chargesheet before a special court in Raipur in the Mahadev betting app case. ED has filed a chargesheet against five accused — Shubham Soni, Amit Kumar Aggarwal, Rohit Gulati, Bhim Singh and Aseem Das are named.

The arrested accused Aseem Das, who claimed he had been sent to “deliver” cash to former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel, has retracted his denial of having made the charges, saying he stands by the statement, the ED informed a court.

Das used to work as a courier in India for the promoter of the Mahadev betting app and was arrested from a Raipur hotel in November 2023 just before the Assembly polls in Chhattisgarh after the central agency recovered a sum of Rs 5.39 crore from his hideouts.

Earlier in its chargesheet, the agency said that the alleged illegal funds generated by the app were shared as bribes to politicians and bureaucrats in the state. The agency in November claimed that just before the first phase of Chhattisgarh polls, as per the forensic analysis and statement made by Asim Das have led to ‘startling allegations’ that Mahadev betting app promoters have paid about Rs 508 crore to former CM and Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel.

However, Baghel denied such allegations and said the charges are being made to ‘malign’ his image.

BJP Attacks Congress

Soon after the ED alleged the involvement of former CM Bhupesh Baghel in Mahadev betting app case, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) attacked Congress saying that their former Chief Minister was ‘Corruption CM’ and the party looted the people of Chhattisgarh. 

“Bhupesh Bhagel was paid over Rs 500 crore in bribes because for the Congress party Chhattisgarh has always been an ‘ATM machine’. During the elections, this money was sent to Baghel and it was caught red-handed,” BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said.