Raids conducted in Raipur and Bhilai; agency remains tight-lipped on the case
Raipur: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday conducted searches in the houses of former chief minister and AICC general secretary in-charge of Punjab affairs Bhupesh Baghel at Raipur and Bhilai in Chhattisgarh in connection with the alleged Mahadev Book online betting scam.
The probe agency also conducted searches simultaneously in the houses of some of his close associates, a Congress MLA, four Indian Police Officers (IPS) of Chhattisgarh cadre and a retired IAS officer and some private individuals allegedly linked to the case.
“I am aware of the CBI raids at some places in Chhattisgarh on Wednesday”, deputy chief minister of Chhattisgarh government Vijay Sharma said.
The CBI has meanwhile confirmed that searches are being conducted at some places in connection with the particular online betting case.
In a statement, the CBI said, “In the investigation of the Mahadev Book online betting scam, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) today is conducting searches at 60 locations across Chhattisgarh, Bhopal, Kolkata and Delhi including premises linked to politicians, senior bureaucrats, police officers, key functionaries of Mahadev Book, and other private individuals suspected of involvement in the case”.
The case pertains to the illegal operations of Mahadev Book, an online betting platform promoted by Ravi Uppal, and Saurav Chandrakar, both of whom are currently based in Dubai, the CBI said.
“Investigations have revealed that the promoters allegedly paid substantial amounts as ‘protection money’ to public servants to ensure the smooth and uninterrupted functioning of their illegal betting network.”, the CBI statement said.
Initially registered by the Economic Offence Wing (EOW) of Chhattisgarh police at Raipur, the case was subsequently transferred to the CBI by the state government ‘for a comprehensive probe into the role of senior public officials and other accused persons’.
“In the course of searches, incriminating digital and documentary evidence have been found and seized. Searches are continuing”, the CBI statement said.
Premises of Congress MLA from Bhilai Devendra Yadav, two former officers on special duty (OSDs) Ashish Verma and Manish Banchore, former secretary to Mr. Baghel, Soumya Chaurasis, retired IAS officer Anil Tuteja, IPS officers, Anand Chabra, Abhishek Pallav, Arif Sheikh, and Prasant Agrawal, additional superintendent of police (ASP) Sanjay Dhruve, security guards Nakul and Sahadev, havildar Radhakant Pandey and some other private individuals including some businessmen, were also searched by the CBI teams simultaneously in Raipur, Bhilai and Durg in Chhattisgarh.
The office of the former chief minister posted his reaction on X, saying that ‘Today, former chief minister Bhupesh Baghel is scheduled to travel to Delhi for a meeting of the “Drafting Committee” formed for the AICC meeting to be held in Ahmedabad (Gujarat) on the upcoming 8th and 9th April. The CBI reached his residences in Raipur and Bhilai before this (he left for Delhi).’.
Former deputy chief minister T S Singhdeo slammed CBI raids in the houses of Mr. Baghel saying that the move was aimed at tainting his image.
On March 10, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had conducted searches in the house of Mr. Baghel in Bhilai in connection with the alleged liquor scam that took place during his tenure as chief minister.
The Mahadev Book online scam is believed to be the biggest illegal betting operation witnessed in the country so far.
The platform allegedly involved in match-fixing, money laundering via crypto currency and manipulating games to fetch huge profits to the promoters.
The Mahadev Book online betting scam is said to be in the size of Rs 6,000 crore.
More than 70 cases have been registered in connection with the alleged scam.
