On November 5, one of the accused in the Mahadev Betting App Case released a video implicating Chattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel in the scandal. In the video, he claimed to have provided Rs 508 crores to CM Baghel. The official X handle of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also shared the video.
Their post read, “Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel is purportedly linked to the Mahadev betting app case. The app’s proprietor, Shubham Soni, released a video from Dubai revealing the truth.” The video, accusing the Congress leader and current Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, quickly gained traction, emerging just two days prior to the first phase of Assembly elections in Chhattisgarh.
“मैं हूं महादेव बेटिंग ऐप का मालिक, भूपेश बघेल के कहने पर दुबई गया और मैंने अब तक 508 करोड़ रुपये दिए हैं!”
महादेव बेटिंग एप मामले में छत्तीसगढ़ के मुख्यमंत्री भूपेश बघेल पूरी तरह लिप्त हैं। एप के मालिक शुभम सोनी ने दुबई से वीडियो जारी कर बताई सारी सच्चाई। pic.twitter.com/br5B4ODfj6
— BJP (@BJP4India) November 5, 2023
In the video, Soni claimed to have launched the betting app in Bhilai in 2021 and experienced significant financial success. Over time, there was a noticeable improvement in his standard of living. Given the legal issues his associates were facing, he felt the need for added security.
Paid Rs 10 Lakh per month to CM’s aide
Soni asserted that his encounter with an individual named Verma marked the beginning of extortion, according to his account. He alleged that he had to pay Verma Rs 10 lakh every month. Subsequently, when more of his associates were arrested, Verma directed him to meet with a certain individual. Soni contended that this individual turned out to be none other than Chief Minister Baghel himself. He claimed to have submitted a written statement detailing the purported deal he made with the CM.
Furthermore, Shubham Soni stated that he relocated to Dubai in 2020. There appears to be a discrepancy in his statement, which may be a source of confusion. Initially, he mentioned starting the app in 2021 but later indicated moving to Dubai in 2020. It is plausible that he meant 2022, not 2020. In any case, travel was severely restricted in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, making it improbable for him to have traveled to Dubai during that period.
He went on to describe how his illicit betting venture flourished after meeting with the CM. He also encountered individuals named Saurabh and Ravi, who hailed from Bhilai and were involved in the construction industry. Soni hired both of them as advisors for his construction business. He expressed dissatisfaction that Saurabh and Ravi were gaining recognition, despite him being the original creator of the app.
Soni accused Baghel of frequently changing his stance. He recounted that after establishing his business in Dubai, he faced a recurrence of arrests and similar problems for his associates. Verma urged him to return to Bhilai and meet the CM once more. Girish Tiwari and Verma met him on Airport Road. Afterward, Verma left, and Tiwari escorted him to SP Prashant Agarwal. Following a conversation with Soni, Agarwal contacted CM Baghel. Soni claimed that CM Baghel remarked, “Soni, I sent you to Dubai, but you are acting like a business magnate. Have you turned into a Sheikh?” In response, Soni inquired about Baghel’s expectations, to which Baghel informed him that SP Prashant would provide guidance.
Soni continued, “I have furnished all the details about the arrangement and the sources through which I made payments. Despite making substantial payments, my progress has been hindered, and my associates are being apprehended. I find myself ensnared in the political system. Since my discussion with SP Prashant, I have disbursed approximately Rs 508 crore.”
Soni then implored the government of India to assist him in returning to the country. He pledged to furnish all the evidence regarding money transfers to political figures, including CM Baghel. He stated, “I appeal to the government of India to help me extricate myself from this political entanglement. I am trapped and fearful. I want to return and reside in India, and I am prepared to present all the proof. Just help me come back to India. I am scared. I want to come back and live in India.”
Union Minister Smriti Irani accused Baghel
On November 4, Union Minister and BJP leader Smriti Irani made allegations against Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, claiming that he received kickbacks totaling Rs 508 crores to fund the Congress party’s election expenses. She expressed concerns about the purported involvement of Hawala operators associated with the notorious Mahadev betting app in the Chhattisgarh election campaign.
During a press briefing, Irani pointed out the recent discovery of Rs 5.3 crores in the possession of an individual named Asim Das in Raipur. She raised questions about whether Congress leaders received funds from him through Shubham Soni and if this money was designated for Baghel’s campaign expenses in the Assembly Elections.
Smriti Irani underscored that Asim Das had admitted to traveling from Dubai to provide funds for Congress’ election expenses, implicating Congress leadership and CM Baghel. She alleged that Congress and Baghel were involved in unlawful betting while the party held power in Chhattisgarh. She also highlighted a recorded message from Shubham Soni instructing the delivery of money to Baghel for the Assembly elections in the state.
Who is Saurabh Chandrakar and how the application came into being?
Saurabh Chandrakar comes from a modest background and operated a juice corner called Mahadev Juice Centre in Bhilai, Chhattisgarh until 2018. During this period, he engaged in online betting using betting apps and incurred losses of approximately Rs 10-15 lakh. His close associate and accomplice in the scheme, Ravi Uppal, also had a humble upbringing and held various odd jobs. Like Chandrakar, Uppal participated in gambling through betting apps and suffered losses amounting to around Rs 10 lakh.
Upon relocating to Dubai, the duo took on odd jobs and managed to accumulate enough funds to launch the Mahadev Book App, which was named in honor of Chandrakar’s Mahadev Juice Centre in Bhilai, Chhattisgarh. The app was developed collaboratively by Indian and European coders and was introduced during the pandemic lockdown in 2020. Since then, the business experienced remarkable growth, with Chandrakar establishing around 2,000 centers.
People were running these centres for commission, as per the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Huge amounts of cash were allegedly laundered through hawala channels to Dubai, from where they were allegedly running the operations of Mahadev Book App from Dubai with the help of gangster Dawood Ibrahim’s gang. Once doing odd jobs to raise funds, the duo has amassed a fortune worth more than Rs 6,000 crore from the app.
Following the tremendous success of the Mahadev Book App, Chandrakar crossed paths with influential individuals in the UAE who had connections to gangster Dawood Ibrahim’s brother, Mushtaqeem Ibrahim Kaskar. These associates facilitated an introduction to Kaskar, who was highly impressed by the concept of betting platforms after learning that Chandrakar and Uppal were generating Rs 200 crore in daily revenue from the Mahadev betting app, which contributed substantial returns to India, as reported by India Today, citing sources.
The same developers responsible for the Mahadev Book App were enlisted to create the ‘Kheloyar’ app for Pakistan, following a similar model. The Kheloyar app operates in India, with transactions primarily conducted through UPI, credit and debit cards, or net banking. Pakistani users are required to possess Pakistani phone numbers and bank details to receive links for gameplay and payment on the platform.
ED launched investigation against the app
The ED launched an investigation into the Mahadev Book App scandal following Saurabh Chandrakar’s extravagant wedding, estimated to be worth approximately Rs 250 crore, held in the UAE in February of this year. The star-studded event saw the presence of celebrities such as Tiger Shroff, Sunny Leone, Bhagyashree, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Atif Aslam, Ali Asgar, Vishal Dadlani, Bharti Singh, Sukhwinder Singh, Kriti Kharbanda, Krushna Abhishek, and Elli AvrRam.
Renowned artists, including former Indian Idol judge Neha Kakkar, graced Chandrakar’s wedding ceremony with their performances. Sources within the Enforcement Directorate informed India Today that actors and singers were invited in exchange for fees paid by a Mumbai-based event company. They also revealed that the promoters of the app disbursed approximately Rs 200 crore in cash towards Chandrakar’s wedding expenses, as private jets were chartered to transport family members from Nagpur to the UAE.
Software for the Mahadev app was developed from Hyderabad initially and then further development was undertaken by foreign developers. In early days, Chandrakar and Uppal travelled from Hyderabad to Bhilaspur. The IDs and software created at Hyderabad would be given to panel operators for betting related activities.
Subsequently, the betting process would be presented in a video game format, where the winnings were displayed as points rather than actual currency, aiming to obfuscate the betting aspect, as outlined in the chargesheet by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Following this, a link would be provided to the user for claiming the winnings.
The ED conducted an extensive operation against the Mahadev Book app, resulting in the apprehension of four individuals, including a police assistant sub-inspector allegedly linked to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel’s political advisor. ASI Chandrabhushan Verma, who served as a liaison for Mahadev, established a trading company involved in a wide range of goods, from food to automobiles.
Verma purportedly engaged in selling products at a markup of three times the cost, allegedly diverting funds from Mahadev app promoters under the guise of other business ventures. The company, supported by Chandrakar and Uppal, operated from Dubai.
The operations also included manipulation of games to guarantee gains for panel owners while causing significant losses for players. The Mahadev Book App functions through various websites that display contact information on portals to lure individuals into betting. It also offers platforms for illicit betting on live events like poker, card games, cricket, badminton, tennis, and football in India.
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