FIR Lodged Against Ex-Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel Mahadev Betting App Case: Report
The Economic Offences Wing of Raipur has registered an FIR against former Chattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel and others in the Mahadev App case.
Chhattisgarh Police have filed a case naming former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel as an accused in the Mahadev Online Book app scam, valued at approximately Rs 6,000 crore, news agency ANI reported citing sources on Sunday. This development potentially poses legal challenges for the Congress leader ahead of the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Economic Offences Wing of Raipur has registered an FIR against former Chattisgarh CM 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 IPC. The case was registered on March 4 against Bhupesh… pic.twitter.com/Bu2zCsg0TK
— ANI (@ANI) March 17, 2024
Baghel faces charges under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including cheating, criminal conspiracy, breach of trust, and forgery, along with sections 7 and 11 of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The case was lodged by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) in Raipur on March 4, ANI said.
The FIR, as per a report by Hindustan Times, names Baghel, Mahadev promoters Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, along with 16 others. Additionally, unnamed bureaucrats, police officers, and officers on special duty (OSDs) during Baghel's tenure as CM have been implicated.
According to HT, the case against Baghel follows references sent by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to the state police on January 8 and 30 this year. The ED's findings purportedly revealed the involvement of top-level state government functionaries in allowing illegal activities of Mahadev in exchange for alleged "protection money".
The FIR alleges that Mahadev Book App and its associated companies illicitly collected around Rs 450 crore monthly, based on ED's findings cited in the report. However, the FIR does not name senior police or administrative officers.
Sources suggest that the ED may initiate a fresh money laundering case against Baghel based on the contents of the FIR.
Baghel, who lost the assembly elections in December, is slated to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from the Rajnandgaon seat. Despite attempts to seek comment from Baghel's political adviser, no response was received.
The ED, in its charge sheets, alleges extravagant expenditures by Chandrakar and Uppal, including a lavish wedding ceremony in the UAE and substantial cash transactions.
Assets worth Rs 572.41 crore have been seized or frozen by the ED in connection with the case, which projects total proceeds of crime at approximately Rs 6,000 crore.
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