Mahadev app case: ED searches premises of EaseMyTrip co-founder Pitti in fresh raids
The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday searched the premises of online travel booking portal EaseMyTrip’s co-founder Nishant Pitti as part of fresh multi-state raids in the Mahadev online betting app linked money laundering case, officials said.
The raids covered 55 locations, including in Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Indore, Jaipur, Chennai and Sambalpur in Odisha, the sources said.
The latest searches are a result of some fresh evidence gathered in the case, they said.
The premises and office of 39-year-old Pitti, also chairman of EaseMyTrip, in Delhi are also being covered, they said.
An email sent by PTI to the company seeking response on the ED action against their promoter remained unanswered till the publishing of this report.
According to the company’s website, EaseMyTrip.com was established in 2008 and was founded by the Pitti brothers—Nishant, Rikant, and Prashant.
The ED suspects some “proceeds of crime” from the illegal operations of the app (application) went to entities linked to Pitti.
The Mahadev betting app case made headlines after the federal probe agency claimed a few years back that many high-ranking politicians and bureaucrats from Chhattisgarh are alleged to have been involved in the illegal operation and subsequent monetary transactions linked to the app.
Searches have been undertaken in this case in the past too.
The ED has alleged in the past that its probe in the Mahadev Online Betting (MOB) gaming and betting app has shown involvement of various high-ranking politicians and bureaucrats from Chhattisgarh, the state where the two main promoters, Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, of the app hail from.
It had said the MOB app is an umbrella syndicate arranging online platforms for enabling illegal betting websites to enroll new users, create user IDs and laundering of money through a layered web of benami bank accounts.
The agency has arrested 12 people in this case till now and has filed a total of four chargesheets.
It has also attached, frozen or seized properties worth Rs 2,426 crore.
The projected proceeds of crime in this case are about Rs 6,000 crore, as per the agency.
