ED names top officials but cops target small fry
Central agency seeks charges against top bureaucrats and police officials, but state EOW goes after junior officers
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Raipur police are now face to face in the Mahadev app case. On March 4, EOW Raipur filed a case against former chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, Mahadev app promoters Saurabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, and 18 others. The charges include serious offences such as cheating, criminal conspiracy and breach of trust. The action was based on a reference letter sent by the ED to the state police. In it the central agency shared findings of its investigation and recommended filing an FIR against Baghel and several bureaucrats and police officers.
The EOW, however, allegedly avoided naming wellknown bureaucrats and police officials. It mentioned only unknown civil servants, police officials, and an officer on special duty.
The FIR not only poses problems for Baghel ahead of the Lok Sabha election but also raises questions about the EOW itself, as it is currently at odds with the ED.
The Free Press Journal has accessed the statement of arrested accused Chandra Bhushan Verma. In his statement, Verma, an assistant sub-inspector in the state Intelligence Bureau, said that Chandrakar and Uppal paid protection money to several top-ranking police officials, administrative officers, and politicians to prevent action against their illegal business. Verma allegedly facilitated the transfer of money to the hawala network to reach police and administrative officers.
He also gave details of the money changing hands with top bureaucrats and this is part of the prosecution complaint filed by the ED in the Raipur PMLA court.
According to Verma, top officials in Chhattisgarh received money every month from November-December 2021 to June 2023.
Abhishek Maheswari, additional SP (Intelligence) in Chhattisgarh and additional SP Raipur, allegedly received Rs35 lakh per month from the app promoters. Additionally, Chandrakar and Uppal funded Maheswari’s purchase of a flat in Ramayan Enclave, Kamadiah Shankar Nagar, Raipur. He is currently posted as additional SP Bilaspur (Rural).
Ajay Yadav, IPS, who was the Intelligence IG, allegedly received Rs20 lakh per month. He is currently posted as IGP at the Police Headquarters (PHQ), Nava Raipur.
IPS Prashant Agrwal, who was the SSP Raipur, and chief of Anti-Corruption Bureau and EOW, allegedly received Rs20 lakh per month. He is now posted as deputy inspector general of police (CAF), Bastar region.
Sanjay Dhruv, who was the additional SP, Durg, allegedly received Rs25 lakh per month. He is currently posted as assistant inspector general, Police Headquarters, Raipur.
SSP Durg & Raipur received Rs10 lakh per month.
Sources revealed that 2005 batch IPS officer Arif Sheikh and 2001 batch officer Anand Chabra also allegedly received money.
In his statement, Verma said that Saumya Chaurasia, a civil servant from the Chhattisgarh Administrative Service who served as deputy secretary in the government and is currently in jail in a PMLA case involving an illegal mining case worth more than Rs150 crore, allegedly received Rs1 crore per month from Mahadev promoters.
Suraj Kumar Kashyap, OSD to the ex-chief minister, allegedly received a one-time payment of Rs35 lakh.
Vinod Verma, the former political advisor of the exchief minister, allegedly received Rs5 crore.
Apart from these top officials, more than 40 other senior police and administrative officials were allegedly involved in the Mahadev syndicate.
The ED’s reference letter highlighted the misuse of official positions by police and administrative officers to benefit themselves and create illegal assets. However, the EOW avoided naming these officials and instead mentioned only unknown bureaucrats and police officials.