Big Movers: ED Cracks Down on High-Profile Mahadev Betting Scandal

The Enforcement Directorate has attached assets worth Rs 388 crore in an investigation linked to the Mahadev online betting case, involving high-ranking officials from Chhattisgarh. Movable assets and properties were seized, increasing the total attached assets to Rs 2,295.61 crore. Eleven arrests have been made, highlighting political links.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has taken significant action in its probe into the Mahadev online betting case, seizing assets valued at Rs 388 crore. This major development involves high-ranking politicians and bureaucrats from Chhattisgarh, emphasizing the deepening scandal in the state.

The assets include mobile investments from a Mauritius-based firm and properties in Chhattisgarh, Mumbai, and Madhya Pradesh. The ED has alleged these are linked to Dubai-based hawala operator Hari Shankar Tibrewal, along with promoters and associates of betting apps. These moves are part of a rigorous enforcement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

To date, the ED has issued multiple attachment orders, accumulating to Rs 2,295.61 crore of frozen assets. With 11 arrests and four chargesheets filed, the ongoing investigation reveals a web of financial crimes facilitated by the Mahadev Online Betting app’s syndicate.

(With inputs from agencies.)