Raipur
Chhattisgarh Home Minister Vijay Sharma has indicated that the Mahadev Satta App scam may be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Preparations to hand over the case to the CBI are in progress, and a final decision will be made soon, according to sources close to the Home Minister. The Birnarpur violence and the CGPSC scam, which occurred under the Congress government in Chhattisgarh, have already been handed over to the CBI.
According to sources, all 70 cases related to this scam in Chhattisgarh will be handed over to the CBI, which could increase the difficulties for those involved in this Rs15,000 crore scam. The names of several prominent leaders, officials, and businessmen in the state have surfaced in this case, and they have been charged under Sections 120 (B) and 420 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1998.
The investigation into the Mahadev Satta App scam was first initiated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in October 2022. Initially, FIRs were registered by the Durg, Raipur, and Bilaspur police, based on which the ED registered a money laundering case. The first arrest in this case was made by the ED in August 2023, linking it to money laundering. In October 2023, the ED also questioned close associates of former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, including his political advisor Vinod Verma, OSD Manish Banchhor, and Ashish Verma.
The promoters of the Mahadev App have been accused of paying a bribe of Rs 508 crores to former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. The ED also included Baghel’s name in its chargesheet in November 2023. The BJP targeted the Congress government over this issue before the assembly elections. Currently, the EOW under the SAI government is investigating the case, but now preparations are being made to hand it over to the CBI.
It is noteworthy that the Mahadev Online Betting App is an illegal platform that allows bettors to place wagers on live games and virtual sports. Through this app, people place bets on card games like Poker, Teen Patti, and Dragon Tiger, as well as sports like cricket, badminton, tennis, and football. The app uses virtual cricket and other platforms for betting, making it a hub of illegal activities. Since January 2024, 80 people have been arrested from the capital city of Raipur alone, while the total number across the state is around 600.
The two main directors of the Mahadev Online Betting App, Ravi Uppal and Saurabh Chandrakar, are still at large. In light of this, the state government has decided to hand over the case to the CBI to further intensify the investigation.
