Reportedly the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has received a notarised copy of an 11 page statement from Subham Soni, one of the prime accused in the Mahadev online betting app case that originated from Chhatisgarh. Soni, who is allegedly one of the promoters of the betting app, is currently in Dubai. The statement reached the ED last month through the indian High Commission in Dubai, News18 has learnt from top sources in the directorate.
Soni, in a video statement, had earlier accused the state’s outgoing chief minister Bhupesh Baghel of taking protection money from him to run the business the same was released by the bjp days before the first phase election in the state. The bjp used the figure cited in that video Rs 508 crore to target Baghel in the election campaign.
But the case has now taken a more significant turn as Soni has made his statement legally admissible by sending a notarised statement, duly attested by the High Commission to the directorate. This could mean mounting trouble for Bhupesh Baghel. In an earlier interaction with Baghel, had sought his response to the allegations by the PM and HM and to the raids by the ED. Calling ED ‘selective’, Baghel said that the “central agency never raids a bjp politician, even though there are several complaints against ex-chief minister Raman Singh and his family”.
Prime minister Narendra Modi, while addressing election rallies in chhattisgarh before the elections, had mentioned how the betting platform defrauded people and how the state unit of congress and Baghel protected them in exchange for huge money. Union home minister amit shah blamed Baghel as the “ATM of Congress” for sending the money allegedly earned from “corrupt practices” to other state units of Congress.
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