For the first time, Mumbai Police has registered an internal case against 32 people, including Saurabh Chandrakar, the founder of Khiladi app, a subsidiary of the controversial Mahadev betting app.
The first information report (FIR) was registered on Tuesday at Matunga police station, following a Kurla's magistrate court direction, confirmed the officials. In the FIR, the complainant, Prakash Bankar, a social activist from Matunga, has alleged that since 2019 to now, a fraud of about Rs 15,000 crore has been done through online betting apps, and that it's gaining popularity among the masses given multi-level celebrities are promoting it.
Who is Saurabh Chandrakar?
Chandrakar hails from Bhilai in Chhattisgarh. Several agencies including the Enforcement Directorate have been investigating the matter, while also summoning several Bollywood celebrities for questioning in the case. In this case, at Matunga, the complainant has alleged that citizens are being manipulated, and cheated, while also encouraged to "bet" through various games like cricket, tennis, teen patti, football, etc, through which the app promoters are making wrongful gains. These "gains", he alleged, are being used in Hawala business - on international markets - for illegal purposes. On the basis of the complaint, police have added section 66F of the Information Technology Act which states cyber terrorism.
Names of 32 accused mentioned in FIR
A total of 32 people have been mentioned as accused in the FIR, confirmed Matunga police officials. These include, Rohitkumar Murgai from Punjab, Kumar Rathi from Dubai, Shubam Soni from Chhattisgarh, Atul Aggarwal from Chhattisgarh, Vikas Chaparia from West Bengal, Amit from Mumbai, Lala Rathi from Dubai, Abhishek Rathi from Chhattisgarh, Khanjam Thakkar from Mumbai, Amit Jindal from Delhi, Chandra Bhusan Verma from Chhattisgarh, Amit Majithia from Gujarat, Dinesh Rathi from London, Chhander from Mumbai, Bedi Rathi from Dubai, Rajiv Rathi from Punjab, Krishna Rathi from Dubai, and many more. Meanwhile the main accused, Saurabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, both from Chhattisgarh are still at large, despite multiple cases registered against them by enforcement agencies across the country. Reportedly, ED searched at least 39 locations across several states including Mumbai, Raipur and Kolkata after which illegal assets worth Rs. 417 crores were seized, which were owned by the accused.
All of them have been booked under the Maharashtra Prevention of Gambling Act section 12 (A), which says a police officer may arrest without warrant any person who prints, publishes, sells, distributes, or in any manner circulates any newspaper or documents, with the intention of aiding or facilitating gaming. The other offences include cheating, forgery, criminal conspiracy of the Indian Penal Code and section 66C and 66F of the IT Act. The case registered at Matunga will be soon transferred to the Economic Offence Wing (EOW) who will be further probing the matter, confirmed police officials.
