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In a significant development, Chhattisgarh Police have registered a case implicating former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel as a suspect in the Mahadev Online Book app scandal, valued at around Rs6,000 crore.
FIR Registered Against Baghel and Others
As reported by News Reports, citing sources from the Economic Offences Wing of Raipur, an FIR has been lodged against Bhupesh Baghel and others in the Mahadev App case. The case has been registered under sections 120B, 34, 406, 420, 467, 468, and 471 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The registration took place on March 4, with Baghel and 21 others listed as suspects.
Allegations of Serious Offenses
The Hindustan Times reported Baghel faces allegations under multiple sections of the IPC, including those related to cheating, criminal conspiracy, breach of trust, and forgery.
ED’s Findings Implicate State Officials
According to sources cited by HT, the case against Baghel stems from two references sent by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to the state police, indicating the involvement of high-level state government officials in facilitating illegal activities of Mahadev, allegedly in exchange for “protection money.”
Dummy Accounts and Fake Bank Entities Revealed
In a related development, the ED revealed during its investigation into the Mahadev betting app case that several dummy accounts and fake bank entities were being used to invest nearly ₹1,100 crore in the stock market. The ED has frozen these shares pending the completion of the investigation.
Fresh Arrests Made
Earlier in March, the ED made two fresh arrests in the Mahadev app-linked money laundering case. Girish Talreja and Suraj Chokhani were taken into custody and sent to ED custody till March 11 by a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court.
Political Fallout
The agency had earlier alleged that funds obtained unlawfully through the Mahadev app were used for paying bribes to politicians and bureaucrats in Chhattisgarh. These allegations included payments to Baghel, which he vehemently denied, dismissing them as political vendetta. The Congress party also condemned the accusations as an orchestrated political move.
Links to Bhilai Natives
Chandrakar and Uppal, natives of Bhilai town in Chhattisgarh, have been linked with the Mahadev online betting app and accused of facilitating illegal betting platforms.
This ongoing investigation into the Mahadev app scandal continues to unravel deeper connections and implications involving high-profile individuals and state authorities.
