The Mumbai Crime Branch has taken charge of an FIR registered at Matunga police station concerning an alleged Rs 15,000 crore illegal gambling and cyber fraud associated with the Mahadev betting app, an official said on Thursday.
Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar transferred the case to the crime branch, considering the expansive nature of the investigation.
Also Read: MeitY orders to block Mahadev Book, 21 other illegal betting apps
The case, involving 32 individuals, including app “promoter” Saurabh Chandrakar, Ravi Uppal, and Shubham Soni, dates back to 2019.
According to the FIR, the accused defrauded people to the tune of nearly Rs 15,000 crore. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) recently disclosed startling allegations, asserting that Mahadev app promoters had reportedly paid approximately Rs 508 crore to the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister, as revealed through forensic analysis and a statement from a cash courier.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) subsequently released a video featuring Shubham Soni, claiming ownership of the app and providing proof of the alleged Rs 508 crore payments to Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel. The Chief Minister, however, denied these claims.
On November 5, the Central government issued blocking orders against 22 illegal betting platforms, including the Mahadev app, responding to a request from the ED.
The ban followed ED investigations into an illegal betting app syndicate and raids connected to the Mahadev app in Chhattisgarh.
The Chhattisgarh police have filed at least 75 FIRs related to the Mahadev app, with the ED conducting a concurrent probe into the matter, officials said.
(With inputs from PTI)