The Central Bureau of Investigation has named Chhattisgarh’s former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel in its first information report in the alleged Mahadev betting app case, reported PTI on Tuesday. The promoters of the Mahadev Online Book have claimed that Baghel was one of the “beneficiaries” of the betting fund, the news agency reported. This came a week after the central agency conducted searches at 60 locations across the country, including properties belonging to Congress leader Baghel, in connection with the case. Mahadev Online Book, a betting app, reportedly enabled illegal betting on games such as poker, cricket, tennis and football as well as on elections in India. In November 2023, the Union government issued orders blocking the app. In March 2024, the Chhattisgarh Police filed an FIR naming Baghel as an accused in the Mahadev betting app case. According to the FIR, the Mahadev app and its associate companies illegally collected Rs 450 crore worth of proceeds of crime every month. In August, the Chhattisgarh government transferred the probe in the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation. The central agency in its FIR stated that the Enforcement Directorate had arrested an alleged cash courier, Asim Das, in November 2023 and seized Rs 5.3 crore cash from his home. The CBI claimed that it had obtained a voice note from Das’s phone shared by Shubhan Soni, one of the key accused in the case. The recording made it “clearly evident” that the seized account was meant for one “Mr Baghel”, alleged the CBI. It also claimed that Das identified “Mr Baghel” as the “ex-chief minister of state Mr Bhupesh Baghel” in a statement he gave on November 3, 2023. “As per the voice note, it was also gathered that Soni was claiming that he had also made such payments prior to this incident,” the FIR was quoted as claiming by PTI. Das, who was arrested ahead of the Assembly election in Chhattisgarh, had written a letter to the director of the Enforcement Directorate on November 17, 2023, stating that he was being implicated in the case and the central agency forced him to sign a statement in English, a language he does not understand. He had also sent copies of the letter to several authorities, including the prime minister’s office and the court. Das claimed that the money seized from the car was meant for starting a construction business. He admitted that he visited Dubai twice in October and the trips were arranged by Soni, a childhood friend. The Enforcement Directorate said in January 2024 that Das had retracted his denial. According to the agency, Das told it that he withdrew his statement against Baghel “under influence” and believing it would help his case.