Raipur – The CBI swooped down on the homes of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel today, digging into his alleged links to the Mahadev betting app scandal. The agency hit two spots—Baghel’s Raipur residence and another property in Bhilai, Durg—searching for evidence in a case that’s already stirred up plenty of political heat.
The Mahadev app mess involves claims of illegal betting and money laundering, with accusations that crores of rupees changed hands under the table. Baghel, a senior Congress leader, has been in the CBI’s sights since an FIR named him last year. Today’s raids mark a big step in the investigation, with officers combing through his properties for hours.
Baghel didn’t hold back in his response. Speaking to reporters outside his Bhilai home, he called the raids a “political witch hunt” orchestrated by the central government. “They’re trying to smear me and my party,” he said. “I’ve got nothing to hide—let them prove something if they can.”
The timing’s tough to ignore. With Congress crying foul over alleged misuse of agencies like the CBI, the raids have fueled a war of words between the opposition and the ruling powers. The betting app case itself blew open in 2024, exposing a web of shady deals that’s now pulling in big names like Baghel.
As of late Tuesday evening, the CBI hadn’t spilled any details on what they found. The searches were still going, and the agency’s next move remains unclear. For now, the spotlight’s firmly on Baghel—and on how this probe might shake up Chhattisgarh’s political scene.
