Mumbai: Actor Sahil Khan's alleged attempt to evade arrest in connection with the Rs 15,000 crore Mahadev betting app case came to a halt on Sunday after he was apprehended by the SIT team in Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh, after a long chase.
According to officials of the Crime Branch, Sahil Khan was arrested after a 40-hour, 1800-kilometer chase across 5 states, following the rejection of his anticipatory bail plea in the case on April 25th by Bombay High Court. After his bail application was rejected, he called his driver and left. He continuously changed his location to evade arrest, often switching off his phone.
Chase Across States For Sahil Khan, Arrested In Chhattisgarh
He made his first stop in Goa, where he spent a few hours before heading to Belgaum and then Hubli, where he rested for a few hours. Despite the authorities' best efforts, Khan remained one step ahead, continuing his journey from Hubli to Raichur and spent some time there, and then proceeded to Hyderabad on Saturday. In Hyderabad, he booked a hotel under a different name and rested.
According to officials, he then proceeded from Hyderabad towards the Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra border, passing through the Gadchiroli district and heading towards Naxal-hit regions. When the driver refused to drive at night in the heavily forested area where Naxal presence is suspected, Khan forced him to keep moving. He finally reached Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh, where he stayed at the Ardhya hotel.
During this period, Sahil Khan's phone was mostly off, but the technical team of the Crime Branch located his driver's mobile location and reached the hotel, knocked on his hotel room door, and arrested him early in the morning on Sunday.
According to officials, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Mumbai Crime Branch investigation revealed that arrested Actor Sahil Khan is a promoter of the ICEPORT 247 betting app and The Lion Book App. Both apps are subsidiary apps of the Mahadev betting app, which is promoted by Dubai-based hotelier businessman Hitesh Khushalani, in partnership with Bollywood actor Sahil Khan. Hitesh Khushalani is known as a frontman for the Mahadev app promoter & absconding accused Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal in the Mahadev betting app case.
According to Crime Branch officials, Sahil Khan's involvement extends beyond mere association; he is a 50 percent stakeholder in The Lion Book app and a direct beneficiary of the ICEPORT 247 betting app.
Sahil Khan's Stake In Betting Apps And Evidence Tampering Allegations
According to Crime Branch sources, during the investigation, it was revealed that Sahil Khan used 2000 SIM cards for the promotion and endorsement of these betting apps on social media platforms. However, before appearing in court and facing questioning by the SIT team, he deleted those video endorsements and attempted to destroy the evidence. The SIT team has already archived this evidence.
During the questioning by the SIT, Sahil Khan is not cooperating with the investigation. The SIT team asked him about his role in the betting syndicate, the source of investments, and the 1700 bank accounts linked to transactions, which were rented by Sahil Khan and his associates for transactions. However, he continuously denied his involvement, claiming that he never met Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal and was unaware that betting is illegal in India.
