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ED raids 15 locations across Delhi NCR, WB, Mumbai in Mahadev betting app probe
The raids came around 11 days after Nitish Diwan, a close aide of main promoters Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, was arrested by the federal agency
The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday carried out raids at 15 locations across Delhi NCR, Mumbai and some places in West Bengal in connection with its money laundering probe in the Mahadev Online betting app case, people familiar with the development said.
The raids came around 11 days after Nitish Diwan, a close aide of main promoters Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, was arrested by the federal agency.
The case involves high-ranking politicians and bureaucrats from Chhattisgarh.
So far, nine persons have been arrested and efforts are being made to get Chandrakar and Uppal extradited from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The two were recently detained in Dubai based on Interpol red notices issued at the behest of ED and the agency is trying to have them deported or extradited to India. A formal request in this regard has already been sent, officials said.
ED has alleged in its charge sheet that Chandrakar got married at Ras Al Khaimah in UAE in February 2023 and about ₹200 crore in cash was spent for this event. Private jets were hired to ferry his relatives from India to the UAE and celebrities were paid to perform at the wedding.
The agency had earlier said the alleged illegal funds generated through the app were used to pay bribes to politicians and bureaucrats in Chhattisgarh, where the main promoters and operatives of the app hail from.
Several celebrities and Bollywood actors were summoned for questioning by the agency on their links with the online betting platform and the modes of payment.
So far, the ED has filed two charge sheets in the case, including against Chandrakar and Uppal, among others.
The projected proceeds of crime in this case are about ₹6,000 crore, according to the ED.
