The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has named former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel as an accused in the Mahadev Betting App case. On Tuesday, the CBI made public its First Information Report (FIR) regarding the case, listing a total of 21 individuals, including Ravi Uppal, Shubham Soni (Pintu), Chandra Bhushan Verma, Assem Das, Satish Chandrakar, Nitish Deewan, Saurabh Chandrakar, Anil Agarwal (Atul Agarwal), Vikas Chhapriya, Rohit Gaulati, Vishal Ahuja, Dheeraj Ahuja, Anil Kumar Dammani, Sunil Kumar Dammani, Bhim Singh Yadav, Harishankar Tibrewal, Surendra Bagi, Suraj Chokhani, and two unidentified individuals, one of whom is a police officer.

The accused have been charged under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including Sections 120(B), 420, 467, and 468, as well as Sections 11, 7, 8, and 4 of the Chhattisgarh Gambling (Prohibition) Act, 2002, and Section 4(A) of the Public Gambling Act. The CBI has carried out searches across more than 60 locations in Chhattisgarh, Bhopal, Kolkata, and Delhi. These searches targeted premises linked to politicians, senior bureaucrats, police officials, Mahadev Book key functionaries, and private individuals suspected of involvement in the case.

Previously, on March 26, the CBI conducted a 14-hour raid at the residence of former CM Bhupesh Baghel, seizing three mobile phones. Speaking to the media, Baghel stated that this was the second raid at his residence within 15 days, with similar searches being conducted in Durg and other locations across India. He questioned why, despite stringent action against the Mahadev Betting App, the key accused, Saurabh Chandrakar, had not yet been arrested, even though a lookout circular had been issued against him.

Baghel alleged that the raid was politically motivated, suggesting it was orchestrated to provide material for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech ahead of his scheduled visit on March 30. He further pointed out that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had already conducted a thorough search 15 days earlier, questioning what new evidence the CBI hoped to uncover. He also claimed that original documents were taken from his residence without providing him photocopies, arguing that timely action would have made document submission more effective.

On March 27, Baghel accused the central government of failing to act against the Mahadev Betting App. During a press conference, he alleged that Prime Minister Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were shielding the app, stating that any attempt to take action against it would result in retaliation.

"Modi and Shah are protecting the Mahadev Betting App. The central government has made it clear that if anyone takes action against the app, they will face consequences. This shows they have no intention of shutting it down," he told the media. Additionally, he claimed that cash worth crores of rupees recovered from a vehicle was linked to a BJP leader.

The FIR, initially registered on March 4, 2024, alleges that Mahadev Online Book has been running illegal betting operations. It also states that other websites, including "Skyexchange," are affiliated with Mahadev Online Book and are allegedly operated by Hari Shankar Tibrewal. The complaint highlights that the Mahadev platform facilitates illegal betting on various live games, including poker, card games, games of chance, and sports betting. The app gained prominence around 2019-2020, particularly during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from PTI.