Mahadev App ‘Courier’ alleging Bhupesh Baghel bribery backtracks, claims frame-up

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel faced accusations of receiving ₹508 crore in the Mahadev betting app case, as claimed by an alleged courier, Asim Das, arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). However, Das has now recanted, asserting that he never delivered cash to politicians and was framed. In a letter from jail to the ED Director, Das stated he was coerced into signing a statement in English, a language he doesn’t understand.

Das explained that Shubham Soni, the app’s promoter and his childhood friend, lured him to Dubai twice in October, expressing interest in starting a construction business in Chhattisgarh. Soni allegedly asked Das to work for him, promising financial support.

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Upon landing in Raipur, Das claimed he was directed to pick up a car at the airport, where unidentified individuals loaded cash bags. Later, ED officials took him from his hotel room, and he realized he was being implicated. Das vehemently denied supplying money or assistance to political figures.

The Mahadev app drew attention after a ₹200-crore cash-funded wedding in the UAE. An accused had earlier alleged that the app involved police, politicians, and bureaucrats to sustain the betting and hawala syndicate. Bollywood actors Ranbir Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor, who endorsed the app, are now under ED scrutiny.