Following the reported exit of the CBI from Raipur, former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has launched a strong critique against the agency and the Central government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

In a series of posts on X, he expressed, “I have learned that the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) visited my ‘government residence’ in Raipur without my prior knowledge. I received no notification regarding their arrival, not even from the officers who came to my Bhilai residence. Their entry into my official residence without consent is a clear overreach. Are the BJP and the CBI conspiring together?”

The former chief minister elaborated in his posts, stating, “The CBI claims their visit was related to the Mahadev Satta App. Notably, this app was virtually unheard of until our Congress government took strong action against it during my term as Chief Minister.”

Baghel also informed reporters that the CBI confiscated three of his mobile phones. “We initiated 74 FIRs, arrested over 200 individuals, and froze more than 2,000 bank accounts. It was during our administration that the app was removed from the Play Store after we officially urged Google to intervene. If we were the ones tackling this app, how can we be accused of shielding it? The ED even disseminated false claims that Saurabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal were arrested in Dubai, only for it to be revealed that they were involved in organizing Shiv Katha events. What sort of investigation is this?” he questioned.

Earlier, Baghel remarked, “The CBI has now vacated my residence. Interestingly, the Prime Minister is slated to visit Chhattisgarh on the 30th. It appears these raids are intended to generate ‘content’ for his upcoming speech. On Wednesday, the CBI executed raids at my residences in Raipur and Bhilai, and also at the homes of senior police officers and a close associate in relation to the alleged Rs 6,000 crore Mahadev App scam.”

The Congress party has already condemned these operations as politically motivated, asserting, “We will not be intimidated by such tactics.”

Sources indicate that the CBI also searched properties belonging to Congress MLA Devendra Yadav and IPS officers in Bhilai, Durg district, with the raids lasting over 12 hours, reportedly resulting in the seizure of several important documents.

Last year, the state government referred 70 cases linked to the Mahadev App scam, including one initiated by the Economic Offences Investigation Branch (EOW), to the CBI.

The CBI stated on Wednesday that it had recovered both digital and documentary evidence during their raids across 60 locations in Bhopal, Raipur, Kolkata, and Delhi, including properties associated with politicians, senior bureaucrats, police personnel, and key officials of Mahadev Book, among others suspected of involvement in the case.

This case revolves around the illegal activities of Mahadev Book, an online betting platform promoted by Ravi Uppal and Saurabh Chandrakar, both currently residing in Dubai. Initially recorded by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) in Raipur, the case was later transferred to the CBI for a thorough investigation into the roles of senior public officials and other accused individuals, as stated by the investigating agency.

Investigations have uncovered allegations that the promoters paid substantial sums as “protection money” to public officials to guarantee the uninterrupted operation of their illegal betting network.

Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is also probing the case, has suggested that several prominent political figures and bureaucrats from Chhattisgarh are implicated. The ED estimates that the proceeds of crime in this case could amount to approximately Rs 6,000 crore.