- The case involves allegations of money laundering and use of illegal funds during the election against Mr Baghel, which comes days before Chhattisgarh is expected to vote.
- Sources said accused Shubham Soni has made a video from Dubai that levels several serious allegations against Mr Baghel.
- In the video, Soni claimed that he had gone there on the advice of Mr Baghel.
- Recently, the ED had seized ₹ 5.39 crore in cash from a courier called Asim Das, and he claimed that Shubham Soni had sent it from Dubai for Bhupesh Baghel.
- In the latest statement Baghel said, “This is being done by weaponizing the ED. In fact, the BJP is now contesting elections with the help of ED and is using ED to defame me”.
- Meanwhile, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has issued blocking orders against the Mahadev online betting platform along with 21 other illegal betting apps and websites.
An accused in the alleged Mahadev App case has claimed that Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel had advised him to go to the UAE, sources have said. The case involves allegations of money laundering and use of illegal funds during the election against Mr Baghel, which comes days before Chhattisgarh is expected to vote. Chhattisgarh is the only state where the Congress is seen as being on a strong wicket.
Today, sources said accused Shubham Soni, wanted by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case, has made a video from Dubai. The video levels several serious allegations against Mr Baghel. In the video, Soni claimed that he had gone there on the advice of Mr Baghel.
He also claimed that he is the “real owner” of Mahadev, the betting app that came under the Central investigative agencies’ scanner through huge profits.
Recently, the Enforcement Directorate seized ₹ 5.39 crore in cash from a courier called Asim Das. According to the agency, the man claimed that Shubham Soni had sent it from Dubai for Bhupesh Baghel. Some benami bank accounts linked to the betting app were also discovered and an amount of ₹ 15.59 crore in them has been frozen.
After questioning Asim Das, the forensic examination of his cellphone, and an e-mail sent by Shubham Soni, it has been found that “regular payments have been made in the past and so far around ₹ 508 Crore have been paid by Mahadev App Promoters to Bhupesh Baghel, Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh,” sources said.
Hours after a man claimed he went to Dubai on the advice of Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and gave Rs 508 crore as “protection money’ to politicians to ensure his men do not get arrested, Baghel issued another statement denying the charges.
In his second statement issued late on Sunday, Baghel said, “I wonder on what basis are all the responsible TV channels running the statement of an unknown person? Just because my name is in it?” Baghel, in his earlier statement earlier on Sunday, had accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of wanting to “fight elections by using central agencies like ED, IT, and that “an ugly attempt is made to spoil my image” just before Chhattisgarh Assembly elections.
In the latest statement on the issue, Baghel again said, “Everyone also understands that this is being done by weaponizing the ED. In fact, the BJP is now contesting elections with the help of ED and is using ED to defame me”.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has issued blocking orders against the Mahadev online betting platform along with 21 other illegal betting apps and websites.
(With inputs from agencies)
