As the Lok Sabha elections near, former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel of Chhattisgarh finds himself in hot water. An FIR has been lodged against him involving various sections related to fraud, conspiracy, breach of trust, and forgery under the Corruption Act, sections 7 and 11. Alongside Bhupesh Baghel, the names of 16 others including Mahadev betting app promoters Saurabh Chandraakar and Ravi Uppal have been enlisted.
The Mahadev online betting app came into the limelight when the Enforcement Directorate disclosed a 'cash courier's' email statement revealing that Baghel allegedly received INR 508 crores from the app promoters based in UAE. Meanwhile, the owner of Mahadev Book is now in custody, arrested under money laundering charges.
Challenging the ED's actions, CM Bhupesh Baghel stated, 'This person claims to be the owner of the 'Mahadev app.' Surprisingly, months into the investigation, the agency ED was unaware of this and was referring to him as the manager till two days ago. The people of Chhattisgarh understand everything and will deliver a resounding response to BJP and its ally ED in the elections.'
What is the Mahadev Betting App?
The Mahadev betting app developed for online punting allowed users to engage in live games like poker, cards, and chance-based games. It facilitated illegal betting on sports and elections including cricket, badminton, tennis, football, etc. The app's fraudulent network rapidly expanded, especially in Chhattisgarh. A meticulous plan was devised to implement fraud through this app. In fact, the Mahadev betting app operated across numerous branches. Saurabh Chandraakar and Ravi Uppal sold each branch as a franchise. Initially, users encountered profits that transformed into losses, with 80% of the profit kept by the two. This betting app racket functioned like a machine, its algorithms determining that only 30% of their clientele would win.
