The police in Maharashtra’s Thane district have registered a case against two men for betting during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 Eliminator between Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Wednesday. (More Cricket News)
According to reports, the police raided a residential building in the Bhiwandi area and seized digital accessories including mobile phones worth about INR 30,000 from two men.
The two, identified as Shafi Salim Shaikh and Sahabuddin Jainuddin Ansari, used an app to get bets from people, PTI reported quoting an official.
Played at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Rajasthan Royals first restricted Royal Challengers Bengaluru to 172/8, then chased the target down in 19 overs for a four-wicket win. The Sanju Samson-led RR will take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Qualifier 2 on Friday at Chennai's iconic Chepauk Stadium. The winners will face Kolkata Knight Riders, who beat SRH in Qualifier 1, in Sunday's final, to be played at the same venue.
Meanwhile, Chhattisgarh police have busted an interstate syndicate involved in IPL betting linked with the Mahadev Betting App. Following the arrest of a culprit, the police apprehended seven bookies, including four from Chhattisgarh, in Goa. Others are from Maharashtra (two) and Haryana (one).
According to Naiduniya, the police have also unearthed illegal transactions amounting to INR 1.7 crore across various bank accounts using the app.
For the unversed, the Mahadev Betting App, according to the Enforcement Directorate (ED), offered online platforms for illegal betting in live games including cricket, tennis, badminton, poker, etc. It also serves as a platform to aid other illegal betting websites in enrolling new users and laundering money.
Last September, the ED revealed that it "has conducted searches against the money laundering networks linked with Mahadev APP in cities like Kolkata, Bhopal, Mumbai etc and retrieved large amount of incriminating evidences and has frozen/seized proceeds of crime worth Rs 417 Crore."
The app is promoted by Dubai-based Sourabh Chandrakar and his associate Ravi Uppal -- both hailing from Chhattisgarh. Several prominent personalities, including Bollywood celebrities, are under the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for their association with the Mahadev App.
