The D-company, the criminal organisation created and run by one of India’s most wanted terrorists and accused of the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts Dawood Ibrahim made agreements with the promoters of the Mahadev online betting application, Enforcement Directorate which is presently investigating the case, revealed recently.
As per a report in Times Now, the promoters were in contact with Dawood Ibrahim’s brother Mustaqeem Ali Kaskar about developing an identical betting site for Pakistan where Dawood Ibrahim is reportedly hiding in Karachi. The agency is expected to charge Sourabh Chandrakar, one of the promoters of the app for crimes relating to terrorism based on these grounds.
Following the success of the Mahadev betting app, Mustaqeem Ali Kaskar reportedly reached out to Sourabh Chandrakar in order to ask him to set up a similar betting platform for Pakistan that would deal in the country’s rupees. He also received about thirty bodyguards from the former during his visit to Dubai.
The money employed in the scam was transferred to Middle Eastern nations, notably Dubai, through at least 500 hawala operators and almost 70 shell firms.
Investigations by the ED have uncovered that the key figures behind the Mahadev betting app case, Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, joined forces with Dawood Ibrahim's brother to create a similar betting platform for Pakistan.@AruneelS | @RakeshKTrivedi pic.twitter.com/bcuKqD11gC
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) October 13, 2023
Many senior politicians, government officials, entertainers, and businesspersons have reportedly been involved in the Mahadev betting app scam, the report stated. According to the agency sources, the app’s promoters have been using a vast network of Hawala operators and more than 70 shell companies to launder money to Middle Eastern nations like Dubai while operating out of Pakistan and expanding their company into Thailand.
Sahara, Sharada, Rose Valley, and other Ponzi schemes are accused of robbing depositors of their hard-earned money many of whom committed suicide, but there was no national security component. It was an antiquated technique for defrauding individuals by promising them greater returns while trapping them in a debt trap. However, as the investigation into the Mahadev betting app moves forward, a ton of vital information, proof and particulars have come to light that might blow the cover off a potential financial plot against India, the report stated.
At least 138 online gambling apps with ties to China and other questionable foreign jurisdictions were prohibited by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in an order issued in February. Lotus 365 and other betting apps are registered in foreign jurisdictions and are not recognized by the Indian government.
However, there are still social media and online adverts for these programs. The websites for the individual apps display a WhatsApp number and a registration link for players and gamblers on the landing page. A senior Enforcement Directorate official probing the matter revealed, “These apps work like casinos but the only difference is the legal validation. Casinos are regulated, while these apps are completely illegal and they do not have any book of accounts.”
Another officer disclosed, “The WhatsApp link leads the person interested in playing or betting to the Paytm or G Pay options. Once they pay, the money goes to the accounts of the panel members who control the app or website interface. After deducting a percentage as commission, the panel members send the money to the Hawala accounts or shell companies. Then, through a process, the money is laundered to offshore accounts. One Hawala operator handles around 200-300 clients.”
The agency additionally uncovered some evidence while looking into the specifics that related the Reddy Anna app with some key politicians and exposed crucial connections with Hyderabad. He mentioned, “We have found some sensitive details, which cannot be divulged at this point. We will file a detailed chargesheet this month.”
The Mahadev betting application was created by four people including key accused Saurabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal from Madhya Pradesh and it gradually replaced at least 10 similar illicit betting apps that were being used all over the country. Lotus 365 and ReddyAnna are a couple of the applications that were once part of the Mahadev betting fold.
As many as 34 Bollywood celebrities including actors, singers, dancers etc. have come under the Enforcement Directorate ED scanner in connection with the scam. Raftaar, Sonu Sood, Hardy Sandhu, Sonakshi Sinha, Malaika Arora and Amit Trivedi some of the names. The agency also summoned actor Ranbir Kapoor in relation to the case after several Bollywood personalities attended and performed at the wedding ceremony of Saurabh Chandrakar.
