FIR against Bhupesh Baghel has nothing to do with elections, says Chhattisgarh Dy CM Sao

Raipur (Chhattisgarh): Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao said after an FIR was registered against former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel that there is no political vendetta and arrest has nothing to do with the upcoming polls.

On Sunday, Chhattisgarh Economic Offences Wing (EOW) named former chief minister Bhupesh Baghel in its first information report (FIR) lodged in connection with the alleged Mahadev Online Book-linked money laundering case.

"For a long time, the investigation was going on in the Mahadev betting app scam. Action is being taken after the facts that were found after the investigation...For almost two years it was being investigated and this FIR has nothing to do with elections and political vendetta," said Arun Sao.

However, Baghel has alleged that the FIR against him in the Mahadev online betting case by the state's EOW was politically motivated and was done to defame him.

"They (ED) can take whatever action they want to...When my name is in the FIR, then the names of the officers should also have been included but their names have not been mentioned... It clearly means that they are targeting me and trying to defame me," he said on Sunday.

The former CM further alleged that since the BJP anticipates massive loss in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, they they are adopting new tactics to defame him.

Economic Offences Wing of Raipur has registered an FIR against former Chattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel and others in the alleged Mahadev App case.

The case has been registered under sections 120B, 34, 406, 420, 467, 468, and 471 of IPC. The case was registered on March 4 against Bhupesh Baghel and 21 others.

ED is investigating a case against "Mahadev Online Book", which is an umbrella syndicate arranging online platforms for enabling illegal betting websites to enrol new users, create user IDs and launder money through a layered web of Benami bank accounts.

(ANI)