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An FIR registered at Matunga police station in the Mahadev betting app case has been transferred to the Mumbai crime branch, said police on Wednesday. The Mumbai Police had earlier reportedly booked 32 people – including Mohit Burman and Gaurav Burman – under various sections of fraud and gambling.
However, members of the Dabur group have issued a rebuttal after reports linked its chairman and director to the Mahadev betting app case. A spokesperson for the Burman family however dubbed it a ‘baseless’ accusation that happened to coincide with their bid to acquire Religare Enterprises.
“We have not received any formal communication on any such FIR. However, we have sighted the FIR which is being circulated to media houses. The FIR is patently false and baseless. Nothing could be further from the truth than as wrongly stated in the FIR,” the spokesperson had said.
The spokesperson also asserted that the FIR was a “step provoked by vested interests in an attempt to block the acquisition of Religare Enterprises Limited by the Burman family”.
The Dabur promoters had recently sought a probe into the sale of Religare shares by Chairman Rashmi Saluja. Entities controlled by the family wrote to Sebi and stock exchanges last week and contended that Saluja sold her shares immediately after the Burman family disclosed their plans to make an open offer.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is investigating the illegal betting app syndicate and earlier raided Mahadev Book in Chhattisgarh. Notably, the Centre has issued blocking orders against 22 illegal betting platforms, including the Mahadev app, at the request of ED.
The owners of the Mahadev app are currently in custody, having been arrested under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for alleged money laundering.
The ED had earlier said a forensic analysis and a statement made by a “cash courier” had led to the “startling allegation” of ₹508 crore being paid to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel by Mahadev app promoters.
The federal agency had said that Mahadev’s online book app operates by franchising “Panel/Branches” to their known associates on a 70-30 profit ratio.
It was allegedly using the online book betting application to enroll new users, create IDs, and launder money through a layered web of Benami bank accounts. The application provides online casino and betting platforms- activities that the illegal in India or operate under strict supervision of the government.
Sourabh Chandrakar who earlier worked as a juice vendor and his associate Ravi Uppal are the founders of this application and the duo currently resides in Dubai.
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Updated: 23 Nov 2023, 07:12 AM IST
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