Centre orders blocking Mahadev Book Online amid ED probe on betting app
The IT ministry on Sunday issued a blocking order against Mahadev Book Online, and other 21 betting apps and websites amid the EnforcementDirectorate’s (ED) probe into the Mahadev betting app case. The order was issued under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act after ED’s recommendation.
The minister of state for IT Rajeev Chandrashekhar in a statement said, “Chhattisgarh Government had all the power to recommend shutting down of website/app under Sec 69A IT Act. However, they did not do so and no such request was made by the State Government while they have been investigating it for the last 1.5 years. In fact, the first and only request has been received from ED and it has been acted upon. Nothing prevented the Chhattisgarh Government from making similar requests.”
Notably, the owners of Mahadev Book were arrested in August this year under Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Last week, the ED claimed that a forensic analysis and a statement made by a ‘cash courier’ have led to “startling allegations” that Mahadev betting app promoters have paid about ₹508 crore to Baghel so far, and that “these are the subject matter of investigation”
Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel has so far received ₹508 crore from the promoters of the Mahadev betting app, the Enforcement Directorate claimed on Friday citing an ongoing investigation.
the ED
This came a day after the ED conducted raids in Chhattisgarh against the money laundering networks linked with the Mahadev online betting app – which is being investigated under the anti-money laundering law.
On the ED’s allegations, Baghel said the ED first raided the houses of people close to him to defame them.
Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel on Friday hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Centre after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) claimed that its probe indicated that Mahadev App promoters paid him ₹508 crore, saying that it is a “political attempt to defame” the Congress government in the state.