CBI names Bhupesh Baghel as accused in FIR in Mahadev betting app case

Bhupesh Baghel

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has named former Chhattisgarh chief minister and Congress leader Bhupesh Bhagel as one of the accused in Mahadev online betting app case.

According to the FIR, a total of 21 persons have been named as accused. CBI had conducted various searches at over 60 locations across Chhattisgarh, Bhopal, Kolkata, and Delhi including premises linked to politicians, senior bureaucrats, police officers, key functionaries of Mahadev Book, and other private individuals suspected of involvement in the case.

Earlier on March 26, the investigative agency also conducted a 14-hour search at the residence of the former CM. Baghel alleged that the raid was politically motivated, suggesting that it was orchestrated to provide content for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech ahead of his visit on March 30. The FIR, originally received on March 4, 2024 alleges that Mahadev Online Book is operating betting services illegally.