The Enforcement Directorate(ED) arrested two more people in connection with alleged money laundering activities linked to the Mahadev online betting app case.
On March 2, the probe agency arrested Girish Talreja, followed by the arrest of Suraj Chokhani on March 3 under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Subsequently, the accused were produced before the PMLA special court in Raipur, where they were remanded to Enforcement Directorate custody for seven days until March 11.
The arrested individuals are said to be close associates of the promoters, namely Saurabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, of the contentious online gambling app.
According to the probe agency, the promoters and others were involved in money laundering and hawala transactions using the Mahadev betting platform, run from a central head office in the UAE, and the projected proceeds of crime in this case is about Rs 6,000 crore.
Suraj Chokhani, as per the probe, was found to have invested in a high-end casino in Nepal with proceeds allegedly derived from illegal activities related to the Mahadev Online Book app. He is alleged to have made investments in ventures in Bangladesh and a luxury property development project from illicit funds.
On the other hand, Girish Talreja is alleged to be involved in the operations of "lotus365," a sister concern of Mahadev Online Book. Talreja allegedly played an active role in laundering proceeds of crime generated through illegal operations, the Enforcement Directorate stated.
The probe agency also recovered Rs 1 crore in cash following its raids on multiple locations. In total, movable properties worth Rs 1764.5 crore have been frozen by the Enforcement Directorate under the PMLA in the money laundering case.
Prior to the recent arrests, nine other individuals had been apprehended in connection with the case. In January, the Enforcement Directorate arrested two more persons in connection with its money laundering probe into the Mahadev online betting and gaming app case. The two accused, identified as Nitin Tibrewal and Amit Agrawal, were arrested.
WHAT IS MAHADEV ONLINE BETTING APP CASE?
According to the Enforcement Directorate, the Mahadev app case is a high-profile scandal involving an online betting platform that enabled illegal gambling on various games, such as poker, card games, badminton, tennis, football and cricket. The agency's probe has found that the Mahadev app operated by franchising "panel and branches" to known associates on a 70-30 profit ratio, using the platform to enrol new users, create IDs, and launder money through a complex network of Benami bank accounts. The operation reportedly generated an astounding Rs 200 crore daily.
The app was run by Dubai-based Saurabh Chandrakar, who was a former juice seller, and his accomplice Ravi Uppal, both of whom hail from Chhattisgarh.
Published By:
Srishti Jha
Published On:
Mar 8, 2024
English (US) ·