Baghel: BJP wants to contest polls with help from ED, CBI, I-T, DRI; Congress is ready, will fight and win

The ED’s allegations come three days ahead of the first phase of elections to the Legislative Assembly in Chhattisgarh on November 7.

Responding to the ED’s press release, Baghel said the BJP wants to contest elections in Chhattisgarh with the help of agencies like ED, I-T, DRI and CBI. “Look how shrewd ED is — after accusing me of taking Rs 508 crore based on the statement of an unknown person, they have said in a short sentence that his statement is a subject of investigation. Issuing a press release without any investigation only reveals the ill intent of ED and the Central government,” he said.

“Congress is ready. Every Congress worker is ready. The people of Chhattisgarh are with us to fight agencies like ED, I-T. We will fight and win,” Baghel said.

छत्तीसगढ़ और राजस्थान में निश्चित दिख रही हार से घबराकर प्रधानमंत्री ने अपना आख़िरी और एकमात्र बचे अस्त्र, मोदीअस्त्र (ED) को कांग्रेस नेताओं की छवि ख़राब करने के लिए चला दिया है।

लेकिन छत्तीसगढ़ और राजस्थान की जनता कांग्रेस पार्टी का कवच है।

प्रधानमंत्री मोदी की डराने धमकाने…

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) November 3, 2023

Following the ED allegations, the BJP demanded that Baghel resign. State head of BJP Arun Sao said, “We have been saying continuously that (Mahadev) gambling has been operating under the protection of this government… They have broken and destroyed the dreams and future of youngsters and did huge corruption in this. If this government has any moral values left, then the Chief Minister must resign from his post.”

The Mahadev App commenced its operations in 2017, and caught the fancy of people in 2020 during the pandemic. Sources in the ED claimed that the app’s promoters — Sourabh Chandrakar, 28, and Ravi Uppal, 43, who hail from Bhilai — operated from Dubai and had amassed as much as Rs 5,000 crore.

“On November 2, ED received an intelligence input that large amounts of cash is being moved in Chhattisgarh by the promoters of Mahadev APP in relation to Assembly elections scheduled on November 7 and November 17. ED conducted searches at Hotel Triton (Raipur) and another location in Bhilai,” the ED spokesperson said.

The agency said it intercepted the cash courier Das who was sent from UAE “to deliver large amounts of cash for electioneering expenses of the ruling Congress party”. ED also discovered some benami bank accounts of Mahadev APP in which balance amounts of Rs 15.59 crore has been frozen, the spokesperson said.

So far, ED has arrested four persons and made seizures worth over Rs 450 crore in proceeds of crime. The agency has also filed a prosecution complaint against 14 accused persons.

Baghel questioned how such huge amounts of money are finding their way into Chhattisgarh when elections are due and the Election Commission is in charge, with CRPF men handling security along with the police. “Is there some collaboration between central agencies on this? Is this money being loaded in boxes and brought in aeroplanes along with officers of ED and security agencies?”

Former three-time Chief Minister Raman Singh said, “It is clear now that Rs 508 crore came to Baghel and Aseem Das has been arrested. Now things are becoming clear why he fears ED so much. First it was coal, liquor and rice scam were understood but nothing can be more shameful than this. He has no right to stay in that post.”

ED has also questioned and arrested a police constable Bheem Yadav. “ED investigation has revealed that in the last three years, Yadav had unauthorisedly travelled to Dubai, admittedly met Ravi Uppal and Sourabh Chandrakar. He also participated in the gala functions of Mahadev App, and his travel expenses were borne by Rapid Travels of Ahuja Brothers — a money laundering and ticketing company of Mahadev App. He was the conduit to receive bribe money from Mahadev App promoters for the benefit of senior officers and politicians of Chhattisgarh,” the spokesperson said.

Both the accused — Asim Das and Bheem Yadav — were produced before the concerned court in Raipur. ED has sought their custodial interrogation to independently corroborate their admissions and to trace evidence of money laundering. The court has remanded the two to ED custody for seven days.