New Delhi: On November 24, Asim Das, an alleged cash courier arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the Mahadev betting app case submitted before a special court in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, that he never delivered cash to politicians and that he has been framed as part of a conspiracy, as per a report by PTI.The ED had arrested Das on November 3, four days before the Chhattisgarh elections, in connection with the Mahadev betting app case. It claimed that forensic analysis and a statement by Das had led to “startling allegations” that the Mahadev betting app promoters had paid Rs. 508 crore to Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel.Following this, on November 5, the union government had banned 22 softwares and websites, including the Mahadev betting app.‘Being implicated in the case’: DasDas, who has been in judicial custody since his arrest by the ED on November 3, wrote a letter on November 17 from jail to the Director of the ED, marking copies to higher authorities including the Prime Minister’s Office, stating that he was being implicated in the case, per the PTI report. He also alleged that the central investigating agency forced him to sign a statement in English, a language he does not understand, Das’s lawyer Shoaib Alvi said.In his letter, Das claimed that he had visited Dubai twice in October this year after being called there by Shubham Soni, a childhood friend, to talk about some investments in a construction business. The trips were arranged by Soni, he said. Soni, per the ED, is one of the key accused in the case.Das has also claimed in the letter that on the day of his arrest, and after his arrival in Raipur airport, he was asked to pick up a car parked in the airport’s parking lot and check into a hotel on VIP road in the city. Later he was asked to park on the road where a person put bags of cash in the car and left; Das was told via a phone call to go back to his hotel room.That was when the ED officials came to his room and took him with them, Das claimed. He added that he later realised that he was being implicated and denied ever having supplied money or any other assistance to politicians.Das urged the court to admit the letter as part of the case record, PTI quoted Alvi as saying. The Raipur special court has extended Das’s judicial custody for an additional week, per the PTI report. Connections with CM BaghelThe ED arrested Das – with over Rs. 5 crore in cash – on November 3, four days before the Chhattisgarh elections, in connection with the Mahadev betting app case. It claimed that forensic analysis and a statement by Das – on his own admission – had led to “startling allegations” that the Mahadev betting app promoters had paid Rs. 508 crore to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. On November 5, the Union government had banned 22 softwares and websites, including the Mahadev betting app. Baghel had questioned the “timing” of the corruption allegations and claimed that the issue was being raked up to tarnish his image ahead of the state elections.The ED had claimed that Das was allegedly sent by the app promoters from the UAE “especially, to deliver large amount of cash for electioneering expenses of the ruling Congress Party”. “Asim Das has admitted that the seized funds were arranged by the Mahadev app promoters to be delivered to one politician ‘Baghel’ for upcoming election expenses in state of Chhattisgarh,” the agency had alleged in a statement, per a PTI report.