RAIPUR: A day after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted simultaneous raids at 60 locations in connection with the multi-crore Mahadev Online App betting scam, former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of protecting the app’s promoters.
"On my direction, the first FIR was lodged in March 2022. Later, 74 cases were registered, over 200 people were arrested, and more than 2,000 bank accounts were seized. The CBI raid is like nabbing the whistleblower," Baghel alleged.
"The CBI raids were carried out to get the script of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech, which he will deliver on March 30 during his visit to Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh. The promoters of the app are receiving patronage from PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. Except for handing over the case to the CBI, the state BJP government has not taken any concrete action against the Mahadev App,” he added.
Addressing the media at Rajiv Bhawan in Raipur, the ex-CM and Patan MLA claimed he was being targeted despite his government having exposed the scam.
He accused the Enforcement Directorate (ED) of misleading the public about the arrests of Saurabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal.
“Both were rather seen attending a devotional gathering addressed by preacher Pradip Mishra,” he said, further alleging that the BJP had no intention of taking action against the Mahadev App. “Since the Congress government took action, the CBI raids were carried out against us,” he added.
Baghel, who is also the All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary, questioned why no significant police action had been taken against the illegal betting app after the BJP returned to power in December 2023. “This clearly indicates the state government, too, has given patronage,” he alleged.
However, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai countered the claims, asserting that the probe was now under the CBI’s jurisdiction. “Everyone knows how the youth of Chhattisgarh got addicted to betting, which ruined their lives. There should be action against those found guilty, and no one will be spared. It’s not about anyone being close to Congress or the BJP,” Sai stated.
Baghel also pointed out that the ED had conducted raids two weeks ago, questioning what more the CBI could unearth. He further claimed that officers who had acted against the Mahadev betting app under his government were now being targeted. The former CM added that neither he nor his family had received any summons before the raids.
The premier investigative agency on Wednesday carried out multiple raids at premises linked to politicians, bureaucrats, senior police officers, and others suspected of involvement in the case.
