Chhattisgarh: CBI raids residences of ex-CM Baghel, MLA, IPS officers

A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) squad swooped down on multiple locations tied to former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and others in a sweeping operation.

The CBI blitz reportedly covered over 50 sites, spanning Raipur, Bhilai, and Durg, targetting individuals including Baghel's two special-duty officers, Saumya Chaurasia, MLA Devendra Yadav, KPS School Director Nishant Tripathi, and seven police personnel, including four IPS officers.

According to information, the raids are underway in connection with the Mahadev betting app case.

Among those caught in the raid was IPS officer Abhishek Pallava, a social media regular, whose home was searched as part of the probe into the case.

The former chief minister's office took to X to confirm the CBI's arrival, noting (in Hindi) that Baghel was due in Delhi that day for a 'Drafting Committee' meeting ahead of the AICC gathering in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, on April 8-9.

"Yet, before he could leave, CBI teams descended on his residences in Raipur and Bhilai," the statement said.

Reports indicate the CBI also targeted the homes of IPS officers Anand Chhabra, Arif Sheikh, and Prashant Agarwal, along with police officer Sanjay Dhruv and constables Nakul and Sahdev, all reportedly "linked" to the same betting app investigation.

Meanwhile, the Chhattisgarh Congress unit took to X, accusing the BJP of "weaponising" the CBI after exhausting other tactics through the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

"Since morning, CBI has been stationed at the homes of Bhupesh Baghel, Congress National General Secretary, and MLA Devendra Yadav, Congress National Secretary," the post claimed.

It highlighted Baghel's Delhi trip and Yadav's election duties in Bihar, framing the raids as a blatant attempt to rattle the Congress.

"The BJP forgets that 'fear' isn't in Congress' vocabulary," it added defiantly. Over ten CBI teams fanned out from Raipur at dawn, reports said.

One unit hit Baghel's Raipur residence, while others stormed his Bhilai home at 3 Padum Nagar, Yadav's Sector 5 bungalow, Pallava's Sector 9 residence, and the homes of constables Nakul and Sahdev in Nehru Nagar.

Supporters of Baghel and Yadav rallied in protest at the sites.

In Bhilai, Yadav's mother resisted the CBI for nearly an hour, barring their entry until the team persuaded her to relent.

Yadav, however, was already en route to Delhi. Sources say the CBI interrogated Pallava at his Bhilai home, catching him just as he was about to head to work.

Elsewhere, a team raided IPS officer Abhishek Maheshwari’s Raipur residence, only to find it empty. They promptly sealed the property and moved on.

Earlier, before Holi this month, the ED raided Baghel and his son's house in Bhilai. The ED investigation lasted for about 10 hours.

After the team left, Bhupesh Baghel wrote on his X handle that the team had taken away Rs 32-33 lakh and documents. This also includes the pen drive of the Manturam case.