Mahadev Betting Case: ED Targets Multiple Cities, Raids EaseMyTrip Founder’s Premises
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday carried out a fresh round of searches across multiple states in connection with its ongoing investigation into the Mahadev online betting app-linked money laundering case. Among the locations raided were the premises of Nishant Pitti, the founder and chairman of online travel portal EaseMyTrip, according to a PTI report citing officials.
The coordinated search operation spanned several major cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Indore, Jaipur, Chennai, Chandigarh, and Sambalpur in Odisha. These searches are part of the ED’s broader efforts to uncover the financial networks associated with the illegal betting operations facilitated through the Mahadev app, as per the report.
The Mahadev online betting app has been under the ED’s scanner for several years. The agency alleges that the platform served as a hub for illegal gambling activities, operating through a complex network of shell companies and benami bank accounts to launder proceeds of crime. According to previous statements by the ED, the app functioned as an umbrella syndicate providing infrastructure for illegal betting platforms, including enrolling users, generating user IDs, and routing illicit funds through layered transactions.
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High-Profile Individuals Involvement
The ED has also alleged that several high-profile individuals, including senior politicians and bureaucrats, particularly from Chhattisgarh — the home state of the app’s key promoters, Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal — may have been involved in or benefited from the illegal operations.
This is not the first time enforcement agencies have conducted searches in connection with the Mahadev app. However, the inclusion of a prominent entrepreneur like Nishant Pitti in the latest phase of raids has brought renewed public attention to the case.
Further details regarding the evidence seized or the nature of Pitti's alleged involvement have not yet been disclosed. The investigation is ongoing, and the ED is expected to release more information as it continues to unravel the financial trail connected to the betting syndicate.
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