On 27th April, Mumbai Police nabbed actor and YouTuber Sahil Khan, a resident of Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh, in the Mahadev Online betting app scam. The development transpired a few days after his questioning by the Special Investigating Team (SIT) for over three hours into the matter. Sahil Khan petitioned for anticipatory bail from the Bombay High Court, but his request was denied, and the court pronounced that he “was directly connected with the online betting application.”
Sahil Khan was involved with the Lotus Book 24/7 betting app website, which is a part of the Mahadev betting app network. The Chhattisgarh Police assisted in Khan’s arrest during an operation that lasted for more than 40 hours. Khan is being taken to Mumbai, according to the officials where he will be produced in a court. Sahil Khan, who has acted in movies such as “Excuse Me” and “Style” is also well-known as a social media and fitness influencer.
Sahil Khan is one of several accused named in the official complaint which was handed over to the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) for inquiry. The actor claimed in his petition that, as a celebrity, he “merely acted as a brand promoter,” citing an Influencer Engagement Agreement dated 21st February 2022, with M/s. Isports247, a sports management company for the promotion of the brand “The Lion Book.”
Justice SV Kotwal’s one-judge bench, however, disagreed with the assertion. He mentioned, “The entire operation is illegal. A huge amount is involved. Fictitious bank accounts are created. Different fake SIM cards are used in big numbers. The applicant is directly connected with the app ‘The Lion Book247’.” The bench further stated that up to 67 betting websites were identified by EOW’s inquiry, all of which were under the control of “foreign destinations.”
The court noted, “The probe found that more than 2,000 bogus SIM cards, obtained on bogus documents, were used to lure gullible people to place bets on various games. Over 1,700 bank accounts opened using fake documents were used to collect and withdraw money, which was subsequently routed through Hawala channels and cryptocurrency.”
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. The complaint was originally filed by the Matunga Police under the Indian Penal Code, Gambling Act, and IT Act and an inquiry into the case is underway. A formal complaint has been lodged by the police against Sahil Khan, Gaurav Barman, Mohit Barman, and other individuals under sections 420, 465, 467, 468, 471, and 120 (B) of the IPC.
The SIT has been looking into criminal dealings involving the promoters of the notorious Mahadev betting app and some real estate and banking companies in Chhattisgarh. The Mahadev Online betting software was run by Dubai-based Saurabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal. They are both from Bhilai in Chhattisgarh. The pair, based on Enforcement Directorate authorities, had ties to politicians, bureaucrats, as well as the police, and they ensured to avoid the investigative agencies.
The founders of the Mahadev online betting app have allegedly agreements with the D-company, a criminal organisation founded and operated by one of India’s most wanted terrorists, Dawood Ibrahim, who is responsible for the 1993 Mumbai bomb bombings, the ED revealed in December of last year. The Mahadev betting app case made headlines after actors Ranbir Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor, who have appeared in ads for the app, were summoned by the agency for questioning.
The actor Tamannaah Bhatia was also questioned in the case earlier this week about her role in advertising a subsidiary app for the Mahadev betting app. The actor was called in by the Maharashtra cyber cell for using the Fairplay betting application to promote Indian Premier League (IPL) matches.
