As the vibrant state of Chhattisgarh braces for a pivotal moment in its democratic journey, the echoes of discontent resonate through the political landscape. With the first phase of assembly elections having concluded, the second phase looms large on the horizon, scheduled for November 17, encompassing 70 crucial assembly seats. In the backdrop of this electoral fervour, the ruling Congress government, led by Bhupesh Baghel, finds itself navigating treacherous waters, dogged by a litany of alleged scandals that have become emblematic of its tenure from 2018 to 2023.
The political discourse is agog with accusations ranging from a Mahadev betting app scandal to the surreal spectre of a cow dung scam. The Congress administration stands accused of orchestrating a symphony of malfeasance, including a liquor scandal, irregularities in transfers, deceptive practices in the formation of Gram Sabha members, controversies surrounding essential commodities like rice, and the ominous shadows cast by a mine-related freight scandal. As the state remains at the crossroads of democracy, the public sentiment appears to be shifting, fueled by palpable frustration and a burgeoning disquiet that threatens to reshape the political landscape.
Bhupesh Baghel’s term remained controversial from start to end
When Bhupesh Baghel assumed the mantle of Chief Minister in Chhattisgarh, speculations swirled about a purported power-sharing arrangement, with reports indicating a scheduled transition after 2.5 years to TS Singhdeo. However, contrary to these expectations, Baghel held the reins for the entire five-year term, weathering political impasses. Singhdeo’s role transitioned to that of deputy chief minister in the final months, sparking curiosity about the dynamics at play.
Political circles are rife with discussions on why Singhdeo seemingly acquiesced to this deviation from the initially anticipated power-sharing agreement. While the specifics remain known to a select few, prevailing political discourse suggests that Baghel employed strategic manoeuvres to secure an extended tenure. The Bharatiya Janata Party contends that Chhattisgarh became a financial bastion for the Congress, with Baghel allegedly utilising his position to orchestrate scams and fundraise for the party.
In this exposé, we delve into a comprehensive compilation of serious corruption allegations against the Bhupesh Baghel government, shedding light on a tumultuous tenure that has left many questions lingering.
The Mahadev Betting App Scam
The Mahadev app is an online betting platform that operates illegally and launders the money it receives from users who are not located in India. The Mahadev betting application was created by four people including key accused Saurabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal from Madhya Pradesh and it gradually replaced at least 10 similar illicit betting apps that were being used all over the country. The Mahadev Betting App scam allegedly involves high-profile names including politicians from Chhattisgarh and celebrities. Mahadev Online Book (MOB) has networked from its UAE headquarters to India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Pakistan.
The BJP has persistently asserted that Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel is not only implicated in the alleged scam but is directly involved. Adding fuel to the controversy, the purported mastermind and owner of the implicated Mahadev betting app released a video in which he claimed to have personally delivered a staggering Rs 508 crore in cash to Bhupesh Baghel. According to the self-proclaimed financier, this substantial sum was purportedly utilized in election-related activities, and he asserts having a meticulous account of every rupee disbursed.
The Mahadev betting app case, currently valued at a staggering Rs 15,000 crore, is under investigation, with allegations of money laundering prompting the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to register a case. The scale of this potential financial malfeasance remains shrouded in uncertainty, with ongoing investigations seeking to unravel the depth of the alleged scam. Notably, individuals closely associated with Bhupesh Baghel are now behind bars in connection with this intricate web of accusations.
In the midst of this controversy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during an election rally, directly questioned Bhupesh Baghel, asking him to disclose the precise utilisation of the contested funds. PM Narendra Modi asked, “The Chief Minister’s close aides are behind bars. These mathematicians of Congress will have to tell how much share the CM has received in this, what is the share of the money going to other Congress netas and how much money has gone to the Delhi darbar?”
#ElectionsWithNDTV | PM Modi attacks Congress on Mahadev app case in #Chhattisgarh #Chhattisgrahelection2023 pic.twitter.com/RdygWzQBF7
— NDTV (@ndtv) November 13, 2023
PM Modi took a veiled jibe at Rahul Gandhi saying that “some great sages of the Congress have developed an interest in math”. “The Congress which is so interested in teaching math, today I want to ask them some questions,” PM said. The PM said that more than Rs 508 crore were allegedly distributed in the Mahadev Betting App scam.
On 3rd November, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) revealed some findings from its investigation alleging that regular payments were made in the past and around Rs 508 crore has been paid by Mahadev App Promoters to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. The ED received credible inputs and conducted successful search operations on November 2 in Chhattisgarh in which Rs 5.39 crore in cash was intercepted in the poll-bound state.
The Chhattisgarh PCS Scam
In a startling revelation within the Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission (PSC) scam, positions such as deputy collector and DSP were allegedly bestowed upon relatives, including sons and daughters of officers and political leaders. Notable beneficiaries of this purported favoritism include the daughter of Congress leader Rajendra Shukla and the daughter-son-in-law of Sudhir Katiyar. The Chhattisgarh High Court expressed astonishment at the selection of individuals closely connected to ruling party Congress leaders and officials. Subsequently, the Bilaspur High Court in Chhattisgarh intervened, issuing a stay order on the appointments of 18 such officers pending further investigation.
In response to a petition filed by former minister and BJP MLA Nanki Ram Kanwar, the Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission (PSC) found itself under scrutiny. Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha, presiding over the case, issued a notice to the Chhattisgarh PSC, seeking a detailed response.
The High Court, further delving into the matter, revealed that not only were officials under investigation, but also that five close relatives of Chhattisgarh PSC Chairman Taman Singh Sonwani had secured positions through the commission. Perturbed by these findings, the High Court mandated an inquiry into the appointment process involving 18 key positions, kins of influential people spanning from the chairman to officers and close relatives of ruling party leaders.
The Chhattisgarh Liquor Scam
The Chhattisgarh liquor scam was unearthed months before the ongoing state assembly elections. The illicit activities, which transpired between 2019 and 2022, took centre stage in the public discourse. The Chhattisgarh liquor scam, which unfolded between 2019 and 2022, implicates high-profile bureaucrats and political executives in collusion with distillery firms, reflecting a staggering financial embezzlement amounting to ₹2,161 crores. Initiated under the Congress government’s rule, the scam involved businessman Anwar Dhebar, brother of Congress Mayor Aijaz Dhebar, conspiring to defraud the Chhattisgarh Excise Department. Anil Tuteja, an IAS officer, played a pivotal role in running the syndicate.
The scam unfolded through three primary mechanisms: illegal commissions for liquor purchases, sale of unaccounted bootleg alcohol from authorised stores, and extortion of bribes from foreign liquor manufacturers. The Enforcement Directorate’s investigation, initiated in November 2022, exposed a systematic and deep-rooted corruption network. The accused, including Anwar Dhebar, Anil Tuteja, and Arunpati Tripathi, faced arrests, and properties worth ₹121 crores were attached. The Supreme Court granted interim bail to Anwar Dhebar, while the Chhattisgarh High Court rejected bail pleas for key accused in May 2023, underscoring the severity of the Congress party’s involvement in the orchestrated Chhattisgarh liquor policy scam.
The Chhattisgarh Rice Scam or the NAN scam
Within the Public Distribution System (PDS), provisions were established to allocate 5 kg of paddy per individual. However, a report by the Controller and Auditor General (CAG) revealed the misappropriation of Rs 600 crore in this distribution. Simultaneously, media sources alleged a rice scam of approximately Rs 5000 crore under the Bhupesh Baghel government. In May 2023, the BJP called for Bhupesh Baghel’s resignation, asserting his involvement in the purported Rs 5,000 crore rice scam. Despite these accusations, Bhupesh Baghel and his associates maintained a stoic silence on the matter.
In 2015, when the BJP was in power in Chhattisgarh and Dr Raman Singh was the Chief Minister, Congress had alleged that the government was distributing sub-standard quality grains under the Public Distribution System and that officials had received kickbacks from rice millers to allow this. The Nagrik Apurti Nigam is the nodal agency in Chhattisgarh responsible for procuring and distributing food grains under PDS.
The BJP government had launched a probe into what came to be known as the NAN scam and subsequently, 27 people were booked by the BJP govt – Anil Tuteja and Alok Shukla being the prime accused. ACB later started a money laundering probe as well and a chargesheet was filed in 2015. After this, Congress came to power in Chhattisgarh.
After Bhupesh Baghel took the reigns, an SIT was formed to probe the scam because the prime accused, Anil Tuteja, had alleged that the investigation was unfair. Since then, various pieces of evidence have come to the fore, proving that Bhupesh Baghel was personally shielding the prime accused, Anil Tuteja, and was instead trying to implicate Raman Singh in the scam.
In 2020, Tuteja got bail and immediately, he was appointed by the Baghel govt again. Tuteja was the Joint Secretary for Commerce and Industries and Shukla became the Principal Secretary in charge of Education and other departments. While Congress was first to bring up the scam in 2015, ample evidence was later recovered that proved that it was actually the Congress government functionaries and the Chief Minister himself was shielding the prime accused Anil Tuteja.
OpIndia accessed the WhatsApp chats of the accused Anil Tuteja
OpIndia has accessed WhatsApp chats of Anil Tuteja-IAS Officer, presently Joint Secretary Industries and his Son Yash Tuteja, which was retrieved by Income Tax consequent to its raids conducted in Chhattisgarh, wherein his mobile phone was seized in February 2020. These Whatsapp chats now in possession of OpIndia contain the messages exchanged between the Tutejas and senior IPS officers in the State namely, SRP Kalluri, Kalyan Elesela, G.P Singh and Arif Sheikh. The chats clearly demonstrate that the entire criminal justice delivery system in the State is being abused, misused and mutilated at the behest of Anil Tuteja and his son Yash Tuteja.
The chats accessed by OpIndia prove that the Congress government functionaries at the behest of the Chief Minister and prime accused Anil Tuteja were fabricating evidence and threatening witnesses to implicate Dr Raman Singh and his wife. In fact, the chats also show that Anil Tuteja was acting as the head of the NAN investigation where he himself was the prime accused and was coordinating the transfer of IPS officers, promotions and other favours doled to those who were willing to participate in these nefarious designs. Further, those who did not comply were being given punishment-posting or worse, being implicated in false cases themselves.
The Chhattisgarh coal levy scam
The Chhattisgarh coal levy scam refers to an alleged illegal extortion racket involving politicians, bureaucrats, and businessmen in Chhattisgarh. The scam allegedly took place between 2018 and 2023, during the tenure of the ruling Congress government led by Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel.
According to the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is investigating the case, a cartel of individuals was allegedly extorting an illegal levy of Rs 25 per tonne of coal transported in Chhattisgarh. This levy was reportedly collected from coal mine owners and transporters, and the proceeds were then laundered through a network of shell companies.
The ED has estimated that the scam may have generated up to Rs 3 crore per day, or over Rs 1,000 crore in total. Several individuals have been arrested in connection with the case, including two Congress MLAs, an IAS officer, and several businessmen. The ED is continuing its investigation into the case, and further arrests are expected. The scam has caused significant damage to the reputation of the Chhattisgarh government and has raised questions about the integrity of the state’s mining industry.
The Chhattisgarh Cow Dung Scam
The Chhattisgarh government under Bhupesh Baghel stands accused of orchestrating a scam involving not only misappropriation of funds of cow dung but also encroachment upon the grazing land. This is a scam amounting to a staggering Rs 1300 crore. The BJP has vehemently criticised this alleged misconduct, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing the issue directly during election rallies. The enormity of the scam is underscored by the fact that it involves substantial financial irregularities under the guise of cow dung management in Chhattisgarh.
In July 2023, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state of Chhattisgarh accused the state government led by CM Bhupesh Baghel of engaging in a monetary scam involving the trade of cow dung. BJP MLAs Narayan Chandel and Saurabh Singh stated that the cow dung scam was even bigger than the fodder scam that involved the embezzlement of about Rs 9.4 billion from the government treasury of Bihar.
In this way, the Congress government in Chhattisgarh committed scams in multiple sectors. No wonder Narendra Modi said in an election rally, “Congress has not missed any opportunity to loot Chhattisgarh, but I assure you that after the formation of the BJP government in the state, such scams will be strictly investigated, and those who loot your money will be sent to jail.”
Conclusion
In Chhattisgarh, a barrage of accusations has emerged, ranging from irregularities in the government distribution of chana ration to allegations of improper utilisation of central government funds, nepotism, and alleged neglect of tribal areas. Bhupesh Baghel faces charges of diverting scam proceeds from Chhattisgarh to the upper echelons of the Congress leadership, purportedly aiding their deployment in election campaigns across other states.
This strategy is believed to be a key factor enabling him to retain power for a full five-year term. The ongoing assembly elections will serve as a litmus test to determine how the electorate responds to a government marred by corruption allegations and whether they choose to hold the accused accountable at the polls.
