In a significant development concerning the Mahadev betting app case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has apprehended two more individuals, further escalating its investigation into the alleged money laundering and unlawful activities associated with the application.
Suraj Chokhani, identified as the Managing Director of Ability Games Ltd Company, and Girish Talreja, suspected key figures in the case, were placed under one-day judicial custody by the Raipur Court on Sunday.
These recent arrests come on the heels of Nitish Diwan’s apprehension in the same money laundering case.
Saurabh Pandey, the legal representative for the ED, disclosed that the statements provided by Chokhani and Talreja were intended to corroborate the assertions made by Diwan. However, their statements purportedly contradicted the evidence held by the ED, resulting in their arrest.
Commenting on the arrests, Saurabh Pandey, representing the ED, remarked, “Our latest arrest in this money laundering case was Nitish Diwan. To verify the accuracy of his statements, we recorded statements from these two individuals. However, their statements diverged from our evidence, leading to their arrest. While the court has granted a one-day judicial remand, we had requested a 14-day custodial remand.”
According to Saurabh Pandey, Suraj Chokhani, the Managing Director of Ability Games Ltd Company, shares close ties with Tibrewal, a hawala operator.
“Pandey revealed, “There exists an ID named Lotus 365, which operates in connection with the Mahadev app. Girish Talreja, along with Saurabh Chandrakhar, managed this ID and participated in betting activities. Suraj Chokhani is closely associated with Hari Shankar Tibrewal, who has connections with numerous individuals involved in the Mahadev app betting case.”
In the previous week, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids at over 15 locations across the nation as part of its ongoing money laundering probe into the Mahadev online betting and gaming app case.
Earlier arrests in the case include Asim Das, Bheem Singh Yadav, Chandrabhushan Verma, Anil Kumar Agrawal, Sunil Dammani, and Satish Chandrakar. The agency alleged that funds illicitly generated by the app were utilized for bribing politicians and bureaucrats.
Additionally, the agency has summoned several celebrities and Bollywood actors for interrogation regarding their involvement with the online betting platform and associated payment methods.
