'Mahadev' betting app brings cash flow from Dawood, says BJP leader

Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], October 15 : Claiming that the betting application 'Mahadev' has a link with underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, BJP's election media in charge and MLA from Uttar Pradesh Siddhartha Nath Singh alleged that Chhattisgarh government is not banning the betting application as Congress is receiving massive amount from Dubai.
Speaking to ANI exclusively in Raipur on Sunday, the BJP MLA questioned why the state government is not imposing a ban on the betting application 'Mahadev'.
The BJP leader also alleged that the Congress is receiving money from Dubai and then becoming an ATM for Delhi (referring to Congress's central leadership).
"The state government has the authority to prohibit this application. As Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and other states have imposed a ban on such betting applications, you (referring to Chhattisgarh Government) too can do this. You have not done it because the amount is very huge, whether it belongs to Dawood or someone else," he said.
"Entire money goes to Dubai and then is re-routed further," said the BJP MLA, adding that the money is coming through Dawood's younger brother and Chandrakar, a native of Bhilai.
"They are concerned about money no matter what the source is and Congress high command hardly bothers about the source of money from Chhattisgarh as they consider the state as an ATM," alleged Siddhartha Nath.
The leader further said that the government at the centre is very serious about the issues when it comes to national security and the Prime Minister always takes concrete moves with great concern.
Mahadev Online Book Betting app is an umbrella syndicate arranging online platforms for enabling illegal betting websites to enrol new users, create user IDs and the laundering of money through a layered web of benami bank accounts.
Notably, a lavish wedding held this February in the United Arab Emirates caught the attention of the Enforcement Directorate as the entire money--around Rs 200 crore-- spent on the bash was paid entirely in cash.
At his wedding held in Ras Al-Khaimah, Sourabh Chandrakar, one of the promoters of the Mahadev Online Book Betting app, hired private jets to ferry family members from Nagpur to the UAE and paid celebrities from the Indian film industry to perform, according to the ED.
The agency in mid-September released details of its investigation into the online money laundering case linked with the Mahadev Online Book Betting app. Wedding planners, dancers, decorators etc, were hired from Mumbai and hawala channels were used to make payments in cash, ED had said.
The ED said Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal who hail from Bhilai in Chhattisgarh are the two main promoters of the Mahadev betting platform and ran their operations from Dubai. They had created an empire for themselves in that country.
The agency had recently conducted searches at 39 locations across Raipur, Bhopal, Mumbai and Kolkata and seized illegal assets worth Rs 417 crore. ED has also earnestly taken up investigation abroad. A Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) special court at Raipur has also issued non-bailable warrants against the suspects.
The ED which is investigating money laundering charges in connection with the Mahadev Online Book app had last month conducted searches in Chhattisgarh and arrested four accused including the chief liaisoner of the betting syndicate, which the probe agency alleged was organizing payment of bribes to senior government functionaries as 'protection money'.
ED had stated that it has successfully identified other major players involved in the money laundering operations of the Mahadev online booking app.