As the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) intensifies its probe into the Rs 6,000 crore Mahadev Online Betting App scam, a major twist has emerged with the disappearance of a key accused, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Abhishek Maheshwari. Despite extensive searches across multiple states, including a raid at his luxury residence in Rajnandgaon, Maheshwari remains untraceable, adding a new layer of intrigue to the case.

 

The CBI took over the investigation after the Chhattisgarh government transferred the case from the State Economic Offences Investigation and Anti-Corruption Bureau (SEOIACB). Despite obtaining Section 17(A) clearances to probe over 20 high-ranking officials, including six IPS officers, SEOIACB failed to act, giving the accused ample time to manipulate evidence and safeguard assets. The CBI’s intervention has since led to a full-scale inquiry into the scam’s bureaucratic and political dimensions. On the second day of searches, a five-member CBI team raided Maheshwari’s opulent Sun City residence in Rajnandgaon’s Kanchanbagh area, a locality known for its elite residents. However, his absence raised immediate red flags.

 

Unable to locate him, the agency sealed the property and returned the next day for a detailed search, which lasted over four hours. Documents and materials were seized, but officials refrained from disclosing specifics. Sources suggest Maheshwari may have been tipped off about the impending raids, allowing him to evade arrest. “His sudden disappearance raises critical questions that need to be addressed,” said an official close to the investigation. As the probe deepens, investigators are now focusing on Maheshwari’s close aides, Head Constables Sandeep Dixit and Radhakant Pandey. Both had extensive access to sensitive locations linked to the Mahadev App case, prompting concerns over their potential role in obstructing the investigation.

 

Senior BJP leaders have raised objections to their unauthorized presence at key sites, further complicating the case. Meanwhile, suspicions are mounting regarding two senior IPS officers who were granted Section 17(A) clearances but were conspicuously absent from the CBI’s raid list. Their omission has triggered speculation in Chhattisgarh’s police circles, with many questioning whether influential figures are being shielded from scrutiny. 2009-batch IPS officer Abhinav Khare, a seasoned cybercrime expert, spearheads the investigation. Under his leadership, the operation has expanded across four states, making it one of the most extensive CBI probes in recent memory. Despite relentless efforts, Maheshwari’s whereabouts remain unknown. “We are pursuing every possible lead,” confirmed a source familiar with the investigation. With mounting political and bureaucratic implications, the case is shaping up to be one of Chhattisgarh’s most high-profile corruption scandals. The CBI’s next steps will be crucial in determining whether Maheshwari’s disappearance is a mere act of evasion or indicative of a deeper conspiracy within the system. 

 

 

In what is emerging as one of the most sweeping and complex investigations in recent history, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had launched a monumental crackdown in the Rs 6,000 crore Mahadev Online Betting App scam, around 24 hours ago on Wednesday. This far-reaching operation is the culmination of seven months of painstaking investigative work undertaken by the premier central agency, driven by an unrelenting commitment to unravel a criminal syndicate operating at the intersection of politics, bureaucracy, and law enforcement. The CBI’s investigation gained considerable traction after months of sifting through detailed prosecution complaints (PCs) and charge sheets filed by the Enforcement Directorate Raipur Zonal Office (ED-RPZO) and the State Economic Offences Investigation and Anti-Corruption Bureau (SEOIACB).

 

Over this extended period, the CBI meticulously reviewed thousands of pages of evidence, including a comprehensive 252-page 4th supplementary prosecution complaint and over 2200 pages of Relied Upon Documents (RUDs) filed by ED-RPZO as well as state’s anti graft agency chargesheet filed on April 19th, 2024. Sources familiar with the CBI probe disclosed that this exhaustive review played a pivotal role in uncovering the illicit activities of the Mahadev Betting App promoters, Saurabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, who allegedly amassed a staggering Rs 6,000 crore through the app’s illegal operations.

 

The investigation took a dramatic turn with the discovery that payments were allegedly made by top officials to shield the criminal enterprise. Prosecution complaints and chargesheet of ED-RPZO and SEOIACB respectively revealed that several senior IPS officers, some at the level of Inspector General (IG), were involved in accepting monthly bribes to turn a blind eye to the operations. While 31 key suspects are yet to be investigated, CBI insiders confirmed that these individuals will be brought under scrutiny in the coming days, heightening the tension surrounding the ongoing probe.

 

Subsequently, on the morning of March 26, the CBI’s raids commenced in full force, with teams storming 60 locations across four states, including 55 in Chhattisgarh and remaining in Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, and West Bengal. The raids included the residences of high-profile figures such as former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and Bhilai MLA Devendra Yadav, senior IPS officers, in additional to top bureaucrats some of whom are already lodged in Raipur Central Jail in connection with other scams probed by both ED-RPZO and SEOIACB.