“Bhupesh Baghel Advised Me To Go To Dubai,” Claims Betting App Owner

New Delhi:

An accused in the alleged Mahadev App case has claimed that Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel had advised him to go to the UAE, sources have said. The case involves allegations of money laundering and use of illegal funds during election against Mr Baghel, which comes days before Chhattisgarh is expected to vote.

Chhattisgarh is the only state where the Congress is seen as being on a strong wicket.

Today, sources said accused Shubham Soni — wanted by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case — has made a video from Dubai.

The video levels several serious allegations against Mr Baghel. In the video, Soni has claimed that he had gone there on the advice of Mr Baghel.

He also claimed that he is the “real owner” of Mahadev – the betting app that came under the Central investigative agencies’ scanner through huge profits.

Recently, the Enforcement Directorate had seized Rs 5.39 crore in cash from a courier called Asim Das. According to the agency, the man claimed that Shubham Soni had sent it from Dubai for Bhupesh Baghel.

Some benami bank accounts linked to the betting app were also discovered and an amount of Rs 15.59 crore in them has been frozen.

After questioning Asim Das, the forensic examination of his cellphone and an e-mail sent by Shubham Soni, it has been found 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,” sources said.