Mahadev betting case: ED seizes assets worth Rs 940.77 crore, total reaches Rs 3,800 crore

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached movable and immovable assets worth approximately Rs 940.77 crore in connection with its money laundering investigation into the Mahadev Online Book illegal betting case, taking the total value of properties attached, seized or frozen in the case to around Rs 3,800 crore.

In a press release issued on Thursday, the ED’s Raipur Zonal Office said it had issued another Provisional Attachment Order under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

The attachment covers properties belonging to Vikas Garg, his family members and entities owned or controlled by him.

According to the agency, the attached assets include residential properties, land parcels, equity shares and other securities. The ED said these assets form part of its ongoing money laundering investigation into the Mahadev Online Book and related illegal online betting operations.

The agency said its investigation was initiated on the basis of an FIR registered by the Chhattisgarh Police in Durg, along with several other FIRs lodged by police authorities in Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal against the operators, promoters and associates of the alleged illegal betting platforms.

According to the ED, its probe found that the betting syndicate operated through a franchise-based panel network from abroad and allegedly generated proceeds of crime exceeding Rs 450 crore per month through illegal betting activities.

The investigation further revealed that the proceeds generated from the Mahadev Online Book and Skyexchange betting operations were allegedly laundered through a multi-layered structure involving accommodation entries and shell entities. The agency alleged that the transactions were designed to project tainted funds as legitimate.

The ED said its investigation found that proceeds of crime worth around Rs 940.77 crore from the alleged betting operations were routed into entities owned and controlled by Vikas Garg. According to the agency, these funds were subsequently layered through various entities and used for the acquisition of shares, securities and other assets.

The latest attachment is part of the ED’s continuing investigation into the alleged money laundering network linked to the Mahadev Online Book case.

The agency said that prior to the latest action, it had issued seven Provisional Attachment Orders in the case. It also informed that prosecution complaints, including supplementary prosecution complaints, have already been filed before the Special Court (PMLA) in Raipur, which has taken cognisance of the offence of money laundering.

With the present attachment of assets worth Rs 940.77 crore, the cumulative value of movable and immovable properties attached, seized or frozen in the Mahadev Online Book investigation has risen to approximately Rs 3,800 crore, the ED said.

The agency added that further investigation into the case is underway.