New Delhi: The Central government has imposed blocking orders against 22 illegal betting apps and websites, including Mahadev Book Online and Reddyannaprestopro, following an ongoing investigation into an illegal betting app syndicate led by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) into the Mahadev betting app case.
The order was issued under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act after recommendations from the ED. The Minister of State for IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, stated that the Chhattisgarh government, headed by Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, had failed to take any action against the illegal activities despite being aware of them for the past 1.5 years.
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The Mahadev online betting app case has garnered significant attention after the ED claimed to have recorded the email statement of a ‘cash courier’ revealing that Chief Minister Baghel allegedly received Rs 508 crore from the app promoters based in the UAE. This revelation has sparked a political controversy ahead of the upcoming state Assembly polls.
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Meanwhile, the owners of Mahadev Book have been arrested under Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and are facing charges of money laundering.
The ED has alleged that the app operated through a complex network of Benami bank accounts and generated an astounding Rs 200 crore daily.
The probe agency has revealed that the Mahadev app scandal involved an online betting platform that enabled illegal gambling on various games, including poker, card games, badminton, tennis, football, and cricket. The app was run by Dubai-based Saurabh Chandrakar, a former juice seller, and his accomplice Ravi Uppal, both of whom hail from Chhattisgarh.