The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has taken decisive action in the ongoing Mahadev online gaming and betting app case, freezing security holdings exceeding ₹580 crore belonging to a Dubai-based “hawala operator.”
During recent raids conducted on February 28 across multiple locations including Kolkata, Gurugram, Delhi, Indore, Mumbai, and Raipur, the ED also seized cash and valuables amounting to ₹3.64 crore.
The investigation into the Mahadev app has revealed alleged links to high-ranking politicians and bureaucrats from Chhattisgarh. The ED identified Hari Shankar Tibrewal as a key figure in the case, noting his partnership with the app’s promoters and ownership of another alleged illegal betting platform, skyexchange.
Tibrewal, originally from Kolkata and currently residing in Dubai, faces severe actions under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Under the provisions of PMLA, the ED has frozen ₹580.78 crore in security holdings reportedly beneficially owned by Tibrewal. Additionally, the agency recovered ₹1.86 crore in cash and ₹1.78 crore in valuables during the searches.
So far, the ED has apprehended nine individuals in connection with this case. Two main promoters of the Mahadev app, Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, have been charged and detained. The ED has already filed two charge sheets, highlighting alleged illegal financial activities amounting to approximately ₹6,000 crore, allegedly used for bribing officials in Chhattisgarh.
The investigation continues to unfold, with the ED intensifying efforts to unearth further details and hold accountable those involved in the sprawling Mahadev betting app scandal.
