The Enforcement Directorate on Friday claimed a cash courier, arrested with over Rs 5 crore in cash, has told the probe agency that the online Mahadev betting app promoters paid Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel Rs 508 crores.
Asim Das, the cash courier, has been arrested by the agency after it recovered Rs 5.39 crore from him in the poll-bound state. The Mahadev App and its promoters are being investigated by the ED under the anti-money laundering law.
"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," the ED said in a statement.
"Searches conducted at Hotel Triton and another location in Bhilai and successfully intercepted a cash courier Asim Das who was sent from UAE especially, to deliver large amounts of cash for electioneering expenses of the ruling Congress Party," ED informed in a press release.
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ED recovered cash sent from Dubai from a car parked in a house as well as a hotel. The probe agency has also arrested a constable of Chhattisgarh Police, Bhim Yadav, who traveled to Dubai several times in the last three years. The bribe money used to reach the politicians and police officers through Yadav.
Das was in touch with the most wanted Shubham Soni, close to the promoter in the Mahadev App case. ED has recovered evidence of a conversation between the two through voice notes from Das's phone.
ED files first chargesheet in Mahadev App money laundering case
Just a few days ago ED filed its first chargesheet in connection with its money laundering investigation into the Mahadev betting app case that surfaced in Chhattisgarh recently. The prosecution complaint was filed by the federal probe agency before the special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Raipur on Friday, official sources said.
The ED has named 14 persons in the prosecution complaint, including alleged main promoters of the Mahadev Book app Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal besides Vikas Chhapariya, Chandrabhushan Verma, Satish Chandrakar, Anil Dammani, Sunil Dammani, Vishal Ahuja, Dheeraj Ahuja, Srijan Associates through Punaram Verma, Shiv Kumar Verma, Punaram Verma Shiv Kumar Verma, Yashoda Verma, Pawan Nathani, they said.
Chhattisgarh goes to polls in two phases of November 7 and November 17.
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