New Delhi
The Central Investigation Agency (CBI) has raided 60 places not only in Chhattisgarh but also in Bhopal, Kolkata and Delhi in the investigation of Mahadev Book online betting scam. These include the premises associated with politicians, senior bureaucrats, police officers and prominent officials who came under suspicion.
The official statement issued by the CBI stated that the raid is related to the illegal operation of Mahadev Book, which is an online betting platform promoted by Ravi Uppal and Saurabh Chandrakar, both currently located in Dubai. Investigations have revealed that the promoters have allegedly paid adequate amounts to public servants as “security money” to ensure the smooth and uninterrupted functioning of their illegal betting network.
Initially registered by the Economic Offenses Wing (EOW) Raipur, the matter was later transferred to the CBI by the Government of Chhattisgarh for a comprehensive investigation into the role of senior public officials and other accused persons. Digital and documentary evidence has been found and seized during discoveries. With this, the search continues.
Raids on two dozen locations in Chhattisgarh
The CBI team raided more than two dozen places including Raipur, Bhilai in the early hours today. Among the major people whose locations were taken action, former CM Bhupesh Baghel and his political advisor Vinod Verma, Deputy Secretary in CM Secretariat, Soumya Chaurasia, MLA Devendra Yadav, former IAS Anil Tuteja, IPS officer Anand Chhabra, Abhishek Pallav, Arif Sheikh, Prashant Aggarwal, Additional SP Abhishek Maheshwari, Additional SP Sanjay Dhruv, KPS group Tripathi, former OSD Manish Banchor and Ashish Verma, Inspector Girish Tiwari and others are reported to be raided.
ASP Abhishek Maheshwari’s house sealed
The CBI team reached the house of Additional Police Officer Abhishek Maheshwari, who was influential officer in the Baghel government located in VIP Colony Sun City, Rajnandgaon, where his house has been sealed. When the CBI team reached Maheshwari’s house, they were not present there.
Inquiries of Chaitanya Baghel
The team is interrogating Chaitanya Baghel, son of former CM Bhupesh Baghel at Bhilai’s residence. At the same time, Baghel is present at his residence with the family amidst strict monitoring of the Central Security Force. At the same time, the CBI team is investigating at the house of Soumya Chaurasia, who was Deputy Secretary in the CM Secretariat in the Baghel government. There is talk of recovery of some important documents from the house.
Know the whole matter
The Chhattisgarh government officially handed over the investigation of Mahadev Betting App scam to the CBI in August 2024. The ED started investigating the entire case in January last year, after which its task was also entrusted to ACB and Economic Offenses Branch (EOW). Before the announcement of Lok Sabha elections this year, Bhupesh Baghel was accused in the charge sheet filed by ACB on March 4. An FIR was registered against Bhupesh Baghel under sections 7 and 11 of various sections related to fraud, criminal conspiracy, betrayal and forgery and sections 7 and 11 of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Many other accused were also made.