Shakib's Sister Embroiled In Indian Betting Scandal

India Today reports that cricket all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan's sister Jannatul Hasan has surfaced in the investigation conducted by India’s Enforcement Directorate regarding the Mahadev online betting app case.

As stated in a release issued on Friday, the Enforcement Directorate disclosed that two more individuals, Girish Talreja and Suraj Chokhani, were apprehended during the course of its inquiry into the matter. Allegedly, these two individuals are closely associated with Hari Shankar Tibrewal, one of the promoters of the Mahadev app and a hawala operator situated in Dubai.

Following raids on Tibrewal's premises, the probe revealed his ownership and operation of the illegal betting website 'skyexchange'. Utilizing his Dubai-based entities, Tibrewal had reportedly been investing betting proceeds in the Indian Stock Market via the Foreign Portfolio Investment (FPI) route.

According to the Enforcement Directorate, Suraj Chokhani was responsible for investing Tibrewal's funds in stocks of listed companies. Additionally, Chokhani had investments in the Bangladeshi app 11wicket.com, where one of his partners is Janatul Hasan, the sister of Bangladeshi cricketer Shakib Al-Hasan.

Chokhani had also invested Rs 40 crores in Deltin Casino Kathmandu in Nepal and held a significant stake in the casino. These investments were allegedly made with proceeds from illegal activities through Lotus 365 and Mahadev book app.

The investigation further unveiled that Girish Talreja has a stake in the operations of Lotus365, a sister concern of Mahadev Online Book. Additionally, Talreja, along with Ratan Lal Jain and Sourabh Chandrakar, is a partner in the illegal operations of Lotus365.

During the raids on multiple locations, the probe agency seized Rs 1 crore in cash. Overall, movable assets worth Rs 1764.5 crore have been frozen by the Enforcement Directorate under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection with the money laundering case.

Prior to these recent arrests, nine individuals had been detained in relation to the case. In January, the Enforcement Directorate arrested two more individuals, Nitin Tibrewal and Amit Agrawal, in connection with its money laundering investigation into the Mahadev online betting and gaming app case.

The Mahadev app case, according to the Enforcement Directorate, is a significant scandal involving an online betting platform facilitating illegal gambling on various sports and games. The investigation has revealed that the app, operated by Dubai-based Saurabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, generated immense daily revenue, reaching up to Rs 200 crore, through a network of Benami bank accounts and franchising operations.