Betting

Mahadev betting case: ED conducts fresh raids in Kolkata, freezes Rs 130 cr

The Enforcement Directorate on Friday said it has conducted fresh searches in Kolkata in the Mahadev online betting-linked money laundering case and has frozen securities and deposits worth more than Rs 130 crore. The searches were conducted on Thursday, the agency said in a statement. The case pertains to an ongoing investigation by the federal agency in which a number of high-ranking politicians and bureaucrats from Chhattisgarh are alleged to have been involved. During the searches conducted in Kolkata, securities, bonds and demat accounts worth Rs 130.57 crore were frozen under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the ED said. The agency has alleged that its probe into the Mahadev Online Book (MOB) gaming and betting app has shown the involvement of various high-ranking politicians and bureaucrats from Chhattisgarh, the state where the two main promoters -- Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal -- of the app hail from. It has said the MOB app is an umbr

Mahadev app betting case: ED attaches fresh assets worth Rs 388 crore

The Enforcement Directorate on Saturday said it has attached fresh assets worth about Rs 388 crore in its ongoing money laundering investigation into the Mahadev online betting case in which various high-ranking politicians and bureaucrats from Chhattisgarh are alleged to have been involved. These include movable assets -- investment made by Mauritius-based company Tano Investment Opportunities Fund related to Dubai-based "hawala operator" Hari Shankar Tibrewal through FPI and FDI -- and properties in Chhattisgarh, Mumbai and Madhya Pradesh in the name of promoters of multiple betting apps and websites, panel operators and associates of the promoters, the federal agency said in a statement. A provisional order was issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on December 5 to attach these assets with a total value of Rs 387.99 crore, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said. Tibrewal is being investigated by the agency in this case. The ED has issued multiple such orders

Fairplay betting case: ED seizes Rs 219.7 cr in assets as probe expands

The probe is based on a complaint from Viacom18. ED investigations identified key figures behind Fairplay operating from Dubai, with assets acquired through proceeds of crime.

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Actor Tamannaah Bhatia questioned by ED in HPZ token money laundering probe

Reports indicate that Tamannaah Bhatia was said to have received payments for a 'celebrity appearance' at an event for the app company, but there are no 'incriminating' allegations against her

Mahadev app promoter Chandrakar could be extradited to India soon

Sourabh Chandrakar, one of the main promoters of the Mahadev betting app, is expected to be brought to India soon following his recent formal arrest in Dubai on the basis of an Interpol issued arrest warrant in a money laundering and fraud case, official sources said Friday. Chandrakar along with another promoter of the app, Ravi Uppal was detained in that country late last year following the ED's request for issuance of a Red Notice (RN) against them. Sources said Chandrakar is expected to be either extradited or deported to India over the next few days after he was formally placed under arrest in Dubai recently. The ED has alleged that its probe in the Mahadev Online Book (MOB) gaming and betting app has shown involvement of various high-ranking politicians and bureaucrats from Chhattisgarh, the state where Chandrakar and Uppal hail from. MOB app, as per the federal agency, is an umbrella syndicate arranging online platforms for enabling illegal betting websites to enrol new user

Mahadev betting app case: SC gives bail to Chhattisgarh businessman

The Supreme Court on Thursday gave bail to Chhattisgarh-based businessman Sunil Dammani, arrested by the ED in August last year in a money laundering case linked to the Mahadev illegal gambling app, and said it was doing so without getting into the merit of the allegations. A bench comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra noted that Dammani has been in custody since August 23, 2023 and set aside the Chhattisgarh High Court order denying him bail. "Without saying anything on merits, we are of the view that the appellant may be released on bail subject to bail conditions. "Appellant is ordered to be released on bail if not required in any other investigation, subject to the condition that he shall mark his presence every 15 days at the ED office in the concerned district. The appellant shall not leave the country without prior permission of the trial court," the bench said. As the hearing commenced, Dammani's counsel, senior advocate Vikas Pahwa, told the court that the ...

Mahadev app case: SC to hear bail plea of Chhattisgarh bizman on Oct 3

The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to hear on October 3 a bail plea of Chhattisgarh-based businessman Sunil Dammani, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in August last year in a money laundering case linked to the illegal gambling Mahadev app. A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra was urged by the counsel for the jailed businessman that the bail plea needed to be heard urgently. "We usually do not skip the board (cases listed for hearing on a given day), but this is a bail plea... We will hear it on Thursday," the CJI said after Damani's lawyer said that his client has been in jail for over 13 months. On August 23 last year, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Dammani along with three others for their alleged involvement in the Mahadev app money laundering case. The central probe agency had also conducted searches at the properties of 10 people including Vinod Verma, political advisor to former Chhattisgarh ch

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Why Centre not shutting down Mahadev betting app: Bhupesh Baghel

BJP-led Chhattisgarh government handed over the investigation of the Mahadev betting app case to the CBI

Chhattisgarh govt recommends CBI probe into Mahadev betting app scam cases

The Chhattisgarh government has decided to transfer cases related to the alleged Mahadev betting app scam to the Central Bureau of Investigation, Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma said on Monday. The government issued a notification approving the CBI probe last week, he said. The alleged scam became the focal point of the BJP's campaign during the Lok Sabha elections in Chhattisgarh as prominent accused named in the FIR include former chief minister and senior Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel among others. Notably, the Enforcement Directorate has been probing money laundering cases linked to the Mahadev app scam, which came to light when the Baghel-led Congress government was in power, for more than a year. "70 cases related to the alleged Mahadev app scam were lodged at different police stations in Chhhattisgarh and one case is with the Economic Offences Wing (EOW). We have decided to hand over all these cases to the CBI and a notification has been issued," Sharma told reporters.

Global gaming major Flutter bets big on India, opens GCC in Hyderabad

The 80,000 sq. ft GCC in Hyderabad will host over 700 employees and focus on data engineering, game integrity, and other key functions

Illegal online betting firms act as channels for money laundering: Report

Illegal online betting and gambling companies act as channels for money laundering and terrorist financing, said a report by Rashtriya Raksha Universty's The Security and Scientific Technical Research Association. IT Rules 2021 differentiates between permissible online real money gaming and illegal betting and gambling practices. Yet, the report suggested the need for a registration mechanism to whitelist legitimate online real money gaming platforms that operate in compliance with laws of India. "Illegal online gambling and betting applications expose Indian digital nagriks to several security risks like cybersecurity attacks and unsafe online environments. They have also emerged as a threat to India's national security because illegal online betting and gambling websites act as channels for money laundering and terrorist financing," The Security and Scientific Technical Research Association (SASTRA) report said. It said that the current legal and regulatory framework doesn't ...

Mahadev betting app case: Mumbai SIT detains Sahil Khan from Chhattisgarh

The special investigation team of Mumbai cyber cell has detained actor Sahil Khan from Chhattisgarh in connection with the Mahadev betting app case, an official said on Sunday. The actor was apprehended from Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh on Saturday after the Bombay High Court rejected his pre-arrest bail plea, he said. Khan was recently questioned by the SIT in connection with the case. The SIT has been conducting a probe into the alleged illegal transactions between certain financial and real estate firms in the state and the promoters of the controversial Mahadev betting app. The size of the scam is about Rs 15,000 crore, as per the first information report (FIR) registered by the police in the case. An investigation is underway against Khan and 31 other individuals. The probe involves examining their bank accounts, mobile phones, laptops, and all technical equipment, according to the police. So far, one person has been arrested in the case and further investigation is underway, t

Govt cautions influencers against promoting offshore betting platforms

Government on Thursday cautioned all endorsers and social media influencers to refrain from promoting or advertising, including surrogate advertisements, of offshore online betting and gambling platforms. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, in an advisory, said that these advertisements have significant financial and socio-economic implications of online betting and gambling on consumers, particularly the youth. The ministry has further advised the online advertisement intermediaries not to target such promotional content towards Indian audiences, an official statement said. Social media intermediaries have also been advised to conduct sensitisation efforts among their users to refrain from publishing such content, it said. The advisory cautions that failure to comply with it may lead to proceedings under the provisions of Consumer Protection Act, 2019 including removal or disabling of social media posts or accounts and penal action under the applicable statutes, the ...

CCPA warns celebrities, influencers to refrain from promoting gambling

Concerned over rising instances of advertisements related to betting and gambling, consumer watchdog CCPA on Wednesday issued an advisory warning celebrities and influencers to refrain from promoting such illegal activities. The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) warned all stakeholders that stringent action would be taken for endorsements of illegal activities, including betting and gambling. "In response to increasing instances of advertisements promoting illegal activities such as betting and gambling, the CCPA has issued a comprehensive advisory," an official statement said. The advisory, in accordance with the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, has emphasised the prohibition of advertising, promotion, and endorsement of unlawful activities that are prohibited under various laws. "Betting and gambling are strictly prohibited under the Public Gambling Act, 1867, and are considered illegal in the majority of regions across the country. Despite this, online betting platforms

Mahadev betting scam: After raids, ED freezes assets worth Rs 580 crore

ED probe in the Mahadev online gaming and betting app has indicated the purported involvement of various high-ranking politicians and bureaucrats from Chhattisgarh

Money laundering: ED makes 9th arrest in Mahadev betting app case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday said it has made a fresh and the ninth arrest in connection with its money-laundering probe into the alleged illegal operations of the Mahadev online gaming and betting application that purportedly involve high-ranking politicians and bureaucrats from Chhattisgarh. Nitish Diwan was taken into custody under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in Raipur on Thursday and a special court sent him to the ED's custody till February 24, the federal agency said in a statement. This is the ninth arrest in the case by the ED. It earlier arrested Nitin Tibrewal, a resident of Kolkata, Raipur-based Amit Agrawal, alleged cash courier Asim Das, police constable Bheem Singh Yadav, Assistant Sub-Inspector Chandrabhushan Verma, alleged "hawala" operator brothers Anil and Sunil Dammani and a man identified as Satish Chandrakar. "Nitish Diwan was working at the highest level of Mahadev Online Book (MOB) in the UAE. He was close to the promoters of th

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ED files fresh charge sheet before special court in Mahadev app case

The Enforcement Directorate has filed a fresh charge sheet before a special court in Raipur in a money laundering case investigation linked to alleged illegal betting and gaming through the Mahadev online book app, official sources said Thursday. The federal agency will share this second prosecution complaint (charge sheet) with authorities in Dubai to secure either the deportation or extradition of the two main promoters of the app-- Ravi Uppal and Sourabh Chandrakar, they said. The two were recently detained in Dubai on the basis of an Interpol red notice issued against them at the behest of the ED. The agency is understood to have shared the contents of the first charge sheet with the UAE authorities, on the basis of which a non-bailable warrant was secured against the two leading to issuance of the Interpol red notice (RN). The about 1,700-1,800 page fresh charge sheet was filed on January 1 and five accused, including alleged cash courier Aseem Das, police constable Bheem Singh