The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has made significant allegations related to a 'cash courier' who has asserted that Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel received a substantial sum of Rs 508 crore from the promoters of the Mahadev betting app located in the UAE. The Chhattisgarh state government has contested these allegations, asserting that the central agency is being employed as a "weapon" in anticipation of the state assembly election.
The ED issued this statement shortly before Chhattisgarh's upcoming elections scheduled for November 7 and 17.
According to the ED, a man named Asim Das, referred to as the 'cash courier,' was detained. He was dispatched from the UAE, allegedly with the specific purpose of delivering substantial sums of money for the election expenses of the ruling Congress party in Chhattisgarh. The ED reported that it retrieved cash amounting to Rs 5.39 crore from Asim's vehicle and his residence.
The ED's statement continued, asserting that during the interrogation of Asim Das, as well as through a forensic examination of his phone and an analysis of an email sent by Shubam Soni, one of the high-ranking individuals associated with the Mahadev network, several shocking allegations were brought to light. These allegations include claims that regular payments have been made in the past, totaling approximately Rs 508 crore that was paid by the promoters of the Mahadev app to Bhupesh Baghel, Chhattisgarh's Chief Minister.
The ED stated, "Asim Das has admitted that the seized funds were arranged by the Mahadev app promoters to be delivered to one politician, 'Baghel,' for upcoming election expenses in the state of Chhattisgarh." Nonetheless, the ED emphasized that these allegations are currently the subject of investigation.
Furthermore, a police constable named Bheem Yadav was arrested during this operation. The ED contends that Yadav traveled to Dubai without authorization over the past three years and reportedly met with the promoters of the Mahadev app, Ravi Uppal and Sourabh Chandrakar. He also allegedly participated in events hosted by the Mahadev app, with his travel expenses covered by Rapid Travels, a money laundering and ticketing company affiliated with the Mahadev app. The ED alleges that Yadav acted as a conduit for receiving bribe money from the Mahadev app promoters on behalf of senior officers and politicians in Chhattisgarh.
Both Asim Das and Bheem Yadav were presented before a special PMLA court in Raipur, and the court subsequently remanded them to seven days of ED custody.
In response to these ED claims, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel expressed disbelief and skepticism, highlighting the ease with which someone's name can be implicated in a scandal. He presented a hypothetical situation where he could compel an individual to name the Prime Minister. Additionally, he questioned the validity of these allegations and whether they could be trusted.
Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister TS Singh Deo commented on the developments, characterizing them as expected tactics employed before an election. He raised concerns about the ED being wielded as a weapon and emphasized the ease with which a name can be implicated in a financial trail. Singh Deo questioned the ability to establish a cash transaction, inquiring about the whereabouts of Rs 500 crore.
The ED is conducting an investigation into the Mahadev betting app syndicate. The promoters of this syndicate are located abroad and remotely oversee numerous panels across India with the assistance of their friends and associates, the majority of whom are from Chhattisgarh and have garnered significant illicit proceeds.
The ED has arrested four individuals thus far and has seized proceeds of crime amounting to more than Rs 450 crore. Additionally, the agency has filed a prosecution complaint against 14 individuals. Recently, the first chargesheet in the Mahadev app betting case was filed by the ED, naming app promoters Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal among the accused.
