Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel. File.
| Photo Credit: ANI
The CBI on Wednesday said it was conducting searches at 60 locations across Chhattisgarh, Bhopal, Kolkata, and Delhi, including premises linked to politicians, senior bureaucrats, police officers, key functionaries of Mahadev Book, online betting platform, and other private individuals suspected of involvement in the case.
The agency is also conducting raids at the residence of senior Congress leader and former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, his office informed via a post on X on Wednesday.
“The case pertains to the illegal operations of Mahadev Book, an online betting platform promoted by Ravi Uppal and Saurabh Chandrakar, both of whom are currently based in Dubai. Investigations have revealed that the promoters allegedly paid substantial amounts as ‘protection money’ to public servants to ensure the smooth and uninterrupted functioning of their illegal betting network,” the agency stated.
These raids have come nearly a fortnight after the Directorate of Enforcement conducted raids at Mr. Baghel’s residence in Durg in connection with a money laundering case linked to the alleged liquor scam in the State.
The post on X claimed that the raids have happened at a time when the former Chief Minister was scheduled to go to Delhi for an organisational meeting.
“Now CBI has come. Former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel is scheduled to go to Delhi today for the meeting of the “Drafting Committee” constituted for the AICC meeting to be held in Ahmedabad (Gujarat) on 8 and 9 April. Even before that, CBI has reached Raipur and Bhilai residence. (Office-Bhupesh Baghel),” it said. Chhattisgarh Congress spokesperson Sushil Anand Shukla said CBI teams had reached residences of Mr. Baghel in both Raipur and Bhilai.
Mr. Baghel said the search began at 7 a.m. and continued till 9.30 p.m. “This is purely political. Because the Prime Minister [Narendra Modi] is coming on the 30th [March] [to Chhattisgarh]. So the raids have been carried out to generate content for his speech,” he said late in the evening. Mr. Baghel alleged that the actual accused were not being arrested.
He said the officials collected documents related to his various immovable properties, copies of which were collected by the ED earlier as well.
Initially registered by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) Raipur, the case was subsequently transferred to the CBI by the Government of Chhattisgarh for a comprehensive probe into the role of senior public officials and other accused persons, the CBI stated. “In the course of searches, incriminating digital and documentary evidence have been seized. Searches are continuing,” it added.
Mr. Baghel’s former deputy and senior Congress leader T.S. Singh Deo also posted on X on the matter and alleged that it was an attempt to tarnish Mr. Baghel’s image.
“It is highly condemnable that agencies are harassing former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel ji repeatedly. This is only a futile attempt by the BJP to tarnish Bhupesh ji’s image. The BJP government of the State is proving incapable of running the State of Chhattisgarh; hence it is making such efforts to divert the attention of the people from the issues related to the public. First ED, then CBI — the investigative agencies have no time to spare for working as BJP’s B team. Recently, when the government itself had to show the report of ED’s action against opposition leaders, it became clear that it has only become a weapon to threaten and harass. This action being taken by the BJP out of political malice is a violation of democracy. @bhupeshbaghel,” his post noted.
Reacting to these allegations, Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Arun Sao said raids were being conducted at multiple locations and it was wrong to link it to politics.
Published – March 26, 2025 08:38 am IST