The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday stated that it has seized fresh immovable assets, valued at Rs 1,700 crore, in connecting to its money laundering probe linked to the Mahadev App case. The properties attached include homes in Dubai's iconic Burj Khalifa, owned by by Sourabh Chandrakar, one of the main promoters of the "illegal" betting app.
The money laundering case, which has drawn widespread attention, involves bureaucrats of Chhattisgarh, according to the information earlier shared by the federal probe agency.
The Raipur zonal office of the ED issued a provisional order in accordance with the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on Wednesday to seize 18 "high-value" luxury villas and apartments in Dubai Hills Estate, including in Hills View, Fairway Residency and Sidra, according to a statement by the agency.
The ED has also attached many "high-end" apartments in Business Bay and SLS Hotel & Residences, apart from apartments in Burj Khalifa.
Two immovable properties located in Delhi have also been attached under the said order. All these assets have a fair market value of about Rs 1,700 crore, it said.
ALSO READ: ED Issues Notice ​To Indians Using Credit Cards For Dubai Property Deals
"The properties belong to Sourabh Chandrakar, one of the main promoters of the Mahadev Online Book betting application and held in the name of entities controlled by him, his associates including Vikas Chhaparia, Rohit Gulati, Atul Arora, Nitin Tibrewal, Surendra Bagri," the ED said.
The Mahadev app was co-promoted by Chandrakar and his associate Ravi Uppal, who are both from Chhattisgarh. The Indian government is currently seeking their extradition. Chandrakar's last known location was in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), whereas Uppal reportedly fled to Vanuatu from the UAE.
The ED alleged these properties were acquired from the "proceeds of crime" generated from illegal online betting operations in the name of the Mahadev Online Book platform and several others.
Properties have been attached in this case earlier too, and with the latest order, the total value of the attachment stands at Rs 4,336 crore. The agency has said in the past that the total "illegal" monies generated in this case at about Rs 6,000 crore.
The Mahadev App, according to the ED, operated as a large-scale international betting syndicate which facilitated illegal betting through multiple online platforms and domain names such as 'Tiger Exchange', 'Gold365' and 'Laser247'.
The operation was structured through a franchise-based network of 'panels' and 'branches' operated by associates across India, while the main promoters Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal operated and controlled the betting syndicate from Dubai, it said.
The agency had arrested 13 people as part of this investigation naming a total of 74 entities as accused in the five chargesheets it has filed before a special PMLA court in Raipur till now.
It has also moved a court seeking a fugitive economic offender (under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018) tag for Chandrakar, Uppal and others named in the case like Anil Agrawal alias Atul and Shubham Soni.
ALSO READ: Mahadev Betting Case: Key Accused Nabbed In Dubai Two Years Ago Goes Missing
(With PTI Inputs)
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.