What is the Mahadev app and what is the controversy surrounding it?

A few weeks back, prominent Bollywood figures were summoned by India's central agency the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering investigation linked to a betting app case. The case involved is the Mahadev betting app - which provides betting in different kinds of games and card games. The promoters of the app are Ravi Uppal and Saurabh Chandraka. Uppal and Chandraka are residents of Bhilai in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh but they currently stay in Dubai.

The ED claimed that a forensic analysis and a statement made by a cash courier led to allegations that the app's promoters paid over $61 million (around Rs 508 crore) to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel.

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Elections are on in Chhattisgarh and this case might affect Chief Minister Baghel's prospects. The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state has repeatedly hit out at Baghel and his government over the case.

What is the app & the controversy?

The Mahadev app facilitates betting on different types of games including cricket, football, tennis etc.. Reports say the app facilitates betting on card games including poker and also virtual sporting games.

The app is operated by a network of closed groups on different instant messaging platforms. These groups have reportedly earned around $24 million per day.

The modus operandi here is that the groups will post phone numbers of websites in an attempt to lure people to play and make profits. Once these numbers are contacted, people will be provided with two separate contact numbers. One such number is for depositing money and getting points in user IDs used for betting, while the other is for contacting the website to cash out the points in the assigned IDs.

Why is Bollywood under the scanner?

Several Bollywood figures from Ranbir Kapoor to Kapil Sharma have been summoned by the ED in connection with the case. However, these figures are not necessarily accused but are believed to have been associated with the Mahadev app in various capacities.

Some of them reportedly endorsed the app, while others were involved in entertaining guests at a wedding of one of the app's promoters held overseas.

Recently, the central government blocked 22 illegal betting apps in the country which also included the Mahadev app.

A political war of words

A political war of words has broken between the BJP and Bhupesh Baghel over the case. Last Sunday, the BJP shared a video of Shubham Soni, an accused in the case, where he said that he was the owner of the app and had evidence of paying $61 million to Chhattisgarh CM Baghel.

However, Baghel has dismissed all allegations and accused the BJP of weaponising the ED. "...Why has the Election Commission not taken cognizance of this? ... A complaint will be sent from us...Investigation should be done for the tarnishing image... There are clear directions in the guidelines of the Election Commission...They should look into this..." he told reporters on Monday.