The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday conducted searches at 60 locations across Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, and Delhi in connection with the Mahadev Book online betting scam. The raids included premises linked to politicians, senior bureaucrats, police officers, and key functionaries of the betting platform. &nbsp;
The case pertains to the illegal operations of Mahadev Book, an online betting platform promoted by Ravi Uppal and Saurabh Chandrakar, both of whom are currently based in Dubai. Investigations have revealed that the promoters allegedly paid substantial amounts as &ldquo;protection money&rdquo; to public servants to ensure the smooth functioning of their illegal network. &nbsp;
Among those searched was former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. CBI teams raided his residences in Raipur and Bhilai, as well as the premises of MLA Devendra Yadav, senior police officers, and private individuals allegedly linked to the case. &nbsp;
High-Profile Searches
The CBI operation covered over 50 sites in Raipur, Bhilai, and Durg. Officials targeted individuals including Baghel&rsquo;s former special duty officers, MLA Devendra Yadav, and seven police personnel, including four IPS officers. Those searched include IPS officers Anand Chhabra, Arif Sheikh, Prashant Agarwal, and Abhishek Pallava, as well as police officer Sanjay Dhruv and constables Nakul and Sahdev. &nbsp;
Baghel&rsquo;s office confirmed the raids on social media, stating in Hindi that the former chief minister was scheduled to leave for Delhi for an AICC &lsquo;Drafting Committee&rsquo; meeting but was intercepted by the CBI before his departure. &nbsp;
Meanwhile, the Chhattisgarh Congress unit accused the BJP of misusing central agencies. &ldquo;Since morning, CBI has been stationed at the homes of Bhupesh Baghel, Congress National General Secretary, and MLA Devendra Yadav, Congress National Secretary,&rdquo; the party posted on X (formerly Twitter), calling the move politically motivated. &nbsp;
&ldquo;The BJP forgets that &lsquo;fear&rsquo; isn&rsquo;t in Congress&rsquo; vocabulary,&rdquo; the statement added. &nbsp;
Evidence Seized, Investigation Ongoing
Officials said incriminating digital and documentary evidence was recovered during the searches. &ldquo;The searches are continuing,&rdquo; a CBI official said, without disclosing further details. &nbsp;
The case was initially registered by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) in Raipur before being transferred to the CBI for a comprehensive probe into the role of senior public officials. &nbsp;
Meanwhile, protests broke out outside some of the searched premises, with supporters of Baghel and Yadav gathering in Raipur and Bhilai. &nbsp;
The Mahadev Book betting case has been under scrutiny for months, with multiple enforcement actions taken by investigative agencies. Earlier this month, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had raided Baghel&rsquo;s Bhilai residence and claimed to have seized cash and documents. &nbsp;
The CBI has not commented on whether more searches or arrests are expected in the coming days. &nbsp;
(With agency input)

Among those searched was former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel.

Searches include home of ex-Chhattisgarh CM Baghel, IPS officers, and key figures under probe in online betting case

CBI Raids 60 Locations in Mahadev Book Scam

Searches include home of ex-Chhattisgarh CM Baghel, IPS officers, and key figures under probe in online betting case

March 26, 2025 | 11:41 IST