The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday released a video in which Shubham Soni, an accused in the Mahadev Book betting app case, claimed that he is the owner of the app and has evidence of paying Rs 508 crore to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and others. The video was unveiled during a press conference in Delhi by Siddharthnath Singh, the BJP's central media convener. In the video, a man identifying himself as Shubham Soni claims to be the owner of the Mahadev Book betting app and alleges that he has paid Rs 508 crore to Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and others.
He expressed frustration at not receiving the desired results despite the payments and revealed that the ED has initiated actions against him. He made an appeal to the Indian government for help, stating that he was trapped in the political system and wishes to return to India. He also stated, "I am scared."
Siddharthnath Singh, an MLA from Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, declared at the press conference, “Accused Shubham Soni sitting in Dubai has narrated the entire story of the Mahadev app in this video about who is connected to this betting app. He has clearly said that CM Baghel, his son Bittu, his political advisor Vinod Verma, and an IPS officer were involved in this syndicate. Baghel has no moral right to remain in the post even for a minute”, news agency PTI reported.
The Congress state communication wing president, Sushi Anand Shukla, dismissed the video as a conspiracy by the BJP. He attributed the BJP's actions to fear, claiming that the party has resorted to such conspiracies due to its inability to challenge the Congress in the state, PTI reported. Shukla expressed confidence in the electorate's ability to discern the truth, stating, "People of Chhattisgarh will teach a lesson to BJP in the elections."
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is conducting an investigation into the illegal betting app syndicate and recently conducted raids on Mahadev Book in Chhattisgarh.
This comes as the Centre has taken action against 22 illegal betting platforms, including the Mahadev app, by issuing blocking orders, following the request of the ED, according to an official statement released on Sunday.