Mumbai: FIR filed against Mahadev Book betting network operatives

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On Tuesday, November 7, an FIR was filed against the owners of the illegal online betting network operated by Mahadev Book app. Prakash Bankar, a social worker from Matunga, Mumbai, filed the report accusing 32 individuals of operating a widely spread illegal betting network.

Bankar claimed that Saurabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, two residents from Chhattisgarh, are the main operatives. He further claimed that both of them have close links and are associated with underworld don Dawood Ibrahim. These links further associated the report to funding of terrorist activities.

The FIR also states that the betting network has countless betting apps. Some names of these betting sites include Lotus365, Khiladi Book, CBTF, WinBuzz, and Reddy Anna. The complainant says that these sites operate with a franchise-based model, and a part of monies earned are siphoned to the actual owners through hawala networks.

Coming back to terrorist connections, one of the accused in the FIR, Mushtaqeen, is Dawood’s brother. The accused is a partner with another accused residing in Dubai named Kumar. Both are investing their money with major real estate developers in different parts of Mumbai.

Bankar described investing in cryptocurrencies as one of the many ways to park the profits earned by the operatives. The social worker also described benami transactions being carried to siphon betting/gambling gains. Chandrakar, owner of Mahadev Book, received Rs 218,29,24,527.64 through crypto transactions in his account.

Moreover, Mahadev Book operatives’ details of estimated earnings also came out. It revealed that the GST dues of these operatives can be as high as Rs 5,000 crores on an annual basis. This means that Mahadev Book operatives have GST liabilities of Rs 15,000 crores since 2019, the year of their inception.

Mahadev Book’s greedy tactics to attract gambling addiction among youth

Bankar further said that the operatives endorse their apps and sites through many Bollywood and other celebrities. He claimed that these misleading ads are run with an intention to attract the users, which eventually leads them falling into gambling addiction.

The accused Rohit Kumar Murgai, operator of Khiladi Book, has been allegedly fixing cricket matches to earn money. Murgai is said to be earning money through his illegal site, and investing the same in crypto assets. His firm has hired Shahid Kapoor to endorse the site, which lures users in the name of registration bonus.

Furthermore, some accused also have links with A-list actors and celebrities. Accused Wasim Qureshi produced a historical film, based on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, with Akshay Kumar. It was also revealed that Qureshi’s firm had a gross revenue of just Rs 60 lakh before the film.

Working upon the information received, Sanjay Pardeshi — a police inspector at Matunga Police Station, has already started the investigation.

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