Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and actor Arun Govil on Friday called for decisive action in the Mahadev Betting App case, stating that illegal activities tied to the app are not only damaging to the youth but also threaten the country’s future.
“Mahadev App has been in controversy and people from Bollywood to politicians – leaders from Chhattisgarh – have been questioned in this case. The government should take strict action against those who are involved in illegal activities... Youth are the future of the country and if they are getting involved in this, committing suicide, then the future of the country will not be bright. The government should take strict action,” Govil told ANI.
His remarks came in the wake of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) naming former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel as one of the accused in its FIR connected to the Mahadev Betting App scam. The FIR, made public on April 1, names a total of 21 individuals, including app promoters and alleged associates like Ravi Uppal, Shubham Soni (Pintu), Chandra Bhushan Verma, Assem Das, Satish Chandrakar, Nitish Deewan, Saurabh Chandrakar, and others, as well as two unidentified individuals including a police officer.
The CBI has invoked serious charges under multiple legal provisions, including Sections 120 (B), 420, 467, 468 of the Indian Penal Code; Sections 11, 7, 8, 4 of the Chhattisgarh Gambling (Prohibition) Act, 2002; and Section 4 (A) of the Public Gambling Act.
The investigative agency also conducted a 14-hour raid at Bhupesh Baghel’s residence on March 26, seizing three mobile phones. Reacting to this, Baghel said, “15 days ago, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had conducted a thorough raid and questioned what more the CBI could uncover now.” He also claimed that although the CBI took original documents from his residence, they refused to give photocopies, despite his request.
Baghel also stressed that timely action by authorities could have allowed him to submit necessary documents and cooperate further.
According to the CBI’s complaint, Mahadev Online Book has been running an illegal betting operation through various “live games,” such as poker, card games, games of chance, and sports betting. The app’s rise in popularity began during the COVID-19 lockdown around 2019–2020. The complaint also mentioned a network of associated websites like “skyexchange,” allegedly operated by Hari Shankar Tibrewal in partnership with Mahadev Online Book.
