Bhubaneswar: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is investigating a submission that Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel has received Rs 508 crore from the UAE-based promoters of Mahadev betting app, who are under investigation under anti-money laundering law.
ED officials claimed on Friday it has recorded a statement of a ‘cash courier’ who alleged that Baghel has been paid Rs 508 crore till now, which is under investigation.
Significantly, Chhattisgarh goes to polls on November 7 and 17.
ED said it has arrested a man named Asim Das, who was sent from the UAE specifically to deliver “large amounts of cash for electioneering expenses of the ruling Congress” in Chhattisgarh.
Cash worth Rs 5.39 crore has been recovered from Asim’s car and his residence, claimed ED.
“From the questioning of Asim Das, and from the forensic examination of the phone recovered from him, and examination of an email sent by Shubam Soni (one of the high-ranking accused of Mahadev network) many startling allegations have come forth, namely, that regular payments have been made in the past and so far around Rs 508 crore have been paid by Mahadev APP promoters to Bhupesh Baghel, Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh,” ED said in a statement, adding that these allegations are “subject matter of investigation.”
ED officials conducted raids in various Chhattisgarh locations on Thursday on money-laundering networks linked with the online betting app.
The central agency has arrested four people and seized proceeds of crime worth more than Rs 450 crore so far.
In a recent chargesheet in the Mahadev app betting case, promoters Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal have been named as accused along with 12 others.
