Raipur: Asim Das, the driver arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the ₹508 crore Mahadev gambling app case, has retracted his earlier statement linking Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel to the scandal. Das, who claimed to have been coerced into signing a false statement, now asserts that he is being made a scapegoat in the ongoing investigation.
The ED initiated the Mahadev Book Online Betting App case investigation in July 2022 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), targeting overseas-based promoters Saurabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, who allegedly remotely operated illegal betting operations. On November 3, just days before the first phase of the Chhattisgarh assembly polls, Das and constable Bhim Singh Yadav were arrested, with ₹5.39 crore allegedly seized from Das’s car.
Das, under instructions from another accused, Shubham Soni, was said to have come to Raipur to deliver money to politicians of the Indian Congress party for election funding. The ED claimed that Das admitted to delivering the funds to ruling political executives, naming CM Baghel as the intended recipient. However, Das has now retracted this statement, denying any involvement in delivering money to Baghel or any other Congress party leader.
In a letter to the court, Das detailed how he was falsely implicated by Soni, whom he had met in Dubai, where Soni promised to help him set up a construction firm. Das asserted that he was coerced into signing a statement he did not understand and vehemently denied supplying money to any politician. The Congress party criticized the ED, stating that the allegations were untrue and accused the agency of targeting the Congress government.
In response to the controversy, CM Baghel denied the charges and made counter-allegations against the BJP and ED. Baghel stated that he did not know Das and refuted any involvement in the Mahadev app case. The ED’s investigation into the Mahadev app, which began in July, alleges significant financial irregularities and illegal betting operations. The case has now taken a turn with Das’s retraction and claims of coercion, raising questions about the ongoing probe.
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