BJP Mumbai President Ashish Shelar on Thursday, December 14 questioned the case of Mahadev Book betting app. The question was raised in the latest monsoon session held in Nagpur Vidhan Sabha that began July 17 this year.
Shelar shared the details of the related FIR filed at Matunga police station and asked to take strict actions against the same. He even demanded the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to actively probe the matter.
To this, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis responded that there is no need to form an SIT. A team has already been instated to investigate the matter related to the FIR against Mahadev Book and its operatives.
Shelar then focused on the links between real estate and Mahadev Book operatives. He questioned about the actions they have taken in the past few years they have been in power. Further, he asked if an FIR will be field in the Edelweiss case or other builders. “As per the IT Act, will the NIA take over the matter if multiple states are involved?” he questioned.
Explaining the matter, Fadnavis responded, saying Mahadev Book network operates from outside India. He added that they operate with a revenue split model with 67 other apps. Adding a recent update, Fadnavis said that the Dubai Police have detained the key mastermind, Ravi Uppal. There are talks to deport Uppal back to India, Fadnavis added.
Notably, the matter first came to the light in Chhattisgarh and the Enforcement Directorate has now taken over. On top of that, Mumbai Crime Branch is also investigation the matter after the FIR, Fadnavis elaborated.
Talking about the Edelweiss case, he said, “Yes, it is true that there was an investment from Edelweiss. Our SIT will probe the transactions through Edelweiss in this case. It will be probed as to what was the reason behind those transactions. We will complete the probe within the next two months,” Fadnavis answered.
The deputy CM further assured an enquiry on builders having suspicious credentials. Talking about intelligence agency’s involvement, he said, “An FIR was filed in Mumbai because one of the activists approached the court and the court directed to file the FIR. Subsequently, we formed a Special Investigation Team. But since the ED is already probing the case, there is no proposal of sending the case to the NIA.”
Bachchu Kadu raises online gaming addiction issue
Next up, MLA Bachchu Kadu also raised the matter of promotion of online gaming platforms. Kadu asked about the possibility of any action against the celebrities who promote these addictive platforms. Furthermore, like many Indian states, Kadu demanded a ban on online gaming platforms.
Fadnavis told, “In order to outlaw online gaming, a central law is required. The states do not have that kind of jurisdiction. So if anyone is able to take action, it will be the central government.”
