The Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out raids in more than 15 locations across the country on Wednesday as part of its ongoing investigation into the Mahadev online betting and gaming app case. These raids, currently underway in West Bengal, Mumbai, and the National Capital Region, are based on information against certain suspects linked to the case, according to sources as reported by ANI.
This action by the ED comes nearly a month after the agency arrested Nitin Tibrewal from Kolkata and Amit Agrawal from Raipur, in the second week of January. Before this, the ED arrested alleged accused Asim Das, Bheem Singh Yadav, Chandrabhushan Verma, Anil Kumar Agrawal, Sunil Dammani, and Satish Chandrakar. The agency has stated that funds generated illicitly by the app were utilized for bribing politicians and bureaucrats.
In November of last year, the ED conducted searches related to money laundering networks associated with the alleged Mahadev Book Online Betting App. This operation led to the seizure of cash amounting to Rs 5.39 crore and a bank balance of Rs 15.59 crore.
Various celebrities and Bollywood actors have been summoned by the ED for questioning regarding their involvement with the online betting platform and associated payment methods.
The ED has filed two charge sheets in the Mahadev app case, including against the main promoters. These promoters were recently detained in Dubai based on an Interpol notice, with the ED working on their deportation or extradition to India.
The first charge sheet alleges that the promoter has spent approximately Rs. 200 crore in cash for his wedding in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, in February 2023. The agency claims that private jets were hired to transport his relatives, and celebrities were paid for performances. The projected proceeds of crime in this case are estimated at Rs 6,000 crore.
A second charge sheet, consisting of about 1800 pages, was filed before a special court in Raipur on January 1 this year. This charge sheet specifically names five accused, including alleged cash courier Asim Das, police constable Bheem Singh Yadav, and Shubham Soni, a prominent executive linked to the app, among others. Das and Yadav were arrested by the agency in November last year. The promoters, originally from Bhilai town in Chhattisgarh, are associated with the Mahadev online betting app, which is accused of facilitating illegal betting websites.