Former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel named in FIR in Mahadev betting app case

Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], March 17 : The Chhattisgarh Economic Offenses Wing (EOW) has named former chief minister Bhupesh Baghel in its first information report (FIR) lodged in connection with the Mahadev Online Book-linked money laundering case, sources said on Sunday.
According to sources, the FIR has been filed on basis of a probe report submitted by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED).
The case has been registered under various IPC sections, including 120B and 34 (for criminal conspiracy and common intention), 406 (for criminal breach of trust), 420 (for cheating), 467 (for forgery of valuable security), 468 (for forgeries for cheating), and 471 (for using as genuine a forged document).
"The case was registered on March 4 against Bhupesh Baghel and 21 others," sources said.
Former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel is contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Rajnandgaon seat.
ED is investigating a case against "Mahadev Online Book", which is an umbrella syndicate arranging online platforms for enabling illegal betting websites to enrol new users, create user IDs and launder money through a layered web of Benami bank accounts.
The agency initiated an investigation on the basis of First Information Reports (FIRs) registered by Chhattisgarh Police. Subsequently, other FIRs registered by Visakhapatnam Police and other states were also taken on record.
An ED investigation into the matter has revealed that "the operations of Mahadev Online Book are being run from Dubai and it operates by franchising 'panel and branches' to their known associates on a 70 per cent to 30 per cent profit ratio."
"The main promoters of Mahadev Online Book are also partners and promoters in multiple such online betting books like 'Reddy Anna' and 'Fairplay'. Large-scale hawala operations are done to syphon off the proceeds of betting proceeds to off-shore accounts," the agency had said.
In the course of further investigation, the ED successfully identified other major players involved with the promoters of Mahadev Online Book.
"It was found that one Hari Shankar Tibrewal, who hails from Kolkata but is currently residing in Dubai, is a huge hawala operator and has partnered with the promoters of Mahadev Online Book. ED conducted searches at his known premises and at the premises of his associates. The searches revealed that Hari Shankar Tibrewal owned and operated one of the illegal betting websites, such as SkyExchange."
He, through his Dubai-based entities, was investing the betting proceeds in the Indian Stock market by way of the Foreign Portfolio Investment (FPI) route.
He had also employed many of his associates as director in various companies which were involved in layering of the betting proceeds by investing them in the stock market. He was also involved in large-scale hawala movement of the betting funds," said the ED.
Accordingly, security holdings worth Rs 580.78 crore in the name of the entities beneficially owned by Hari Shankar Tibrewal have been frozen by ED under PMLA 2002.
Earlier in this case, movable properties totalling Rs 572.41 crore were seized and frozen during searches conducted under the PMLA, 2002. Two provisional attachment orders have been issued, attaching movable and immovable properties valued at Rs 142.86 crore.
Prosecution complaints dated October 20, 2023, and January 1 of this year have been filed in the case. Nine accused have already been apprehended in connection with the case. Thus, total attachment and freezing in the case stand at Rs 1,296.05 crore.
The move comes almost a month after the federal agency arrested two individuals, Nitin Tibrewal from Kolkata and Amit Agrawal from Raipur. Both accused were arrested in the second week of January.
Earlier, the ED had arrested alleged accused Asim Das, Bheem Singh Yadav, Chandrabhushan Verma, Anil Kumar Agrawal, Sunil Dammani, and Satish Chandrakar.
The agency stated that the illicit funds generated by the app were used to bribe politicians and bureaucrats. In November last year, the ED had also conducted searches against the money laundering networks linked with the alleged Mahadev Book Online Betting App, which led to the recovery of cash worth Rs 5.39 crore and a bank balance of Rs 15.59 crore.
Several celebrities and Bollywood actors have also been summoned by the agency for questioning regarding their connections with the online betting platform and the payment methods involved.