NEW DELHI: Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has issued blocking orders against 22 illegal betting apps and websites, including Mahadev Book and Reddyannaprestopro, an official statement said on Sunday.
IT ministry said that action has been taken following the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) action against illegal betting app syndicate and subsequent raids on Mahadev Book in Chhattisgarh which revealed the app’s unlawful operations.
Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar informed that blocking orders have been issued after a request was made by the ED but no such requests were made by the Chhattisgarh government.
“Chhattisgarh government had all the power to recommend shutting down a website or app under Section 69A of the IT Act. However, they did not do so, and no such request has been 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,” MoS Chandrasekhar said.
Ministry said that the owners of Mahadev Book are currently in custody, having been arrested under Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for the commission of the offence of Money laundering under Section 3, punishable and under Section 4 of PMLA, 2002.
Earlier, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday said that according to fresh evidence following a search operation on November 2, it was found that regular payments have been made in the past, and so far, around Rs 508 crore has been paid by Mahadev App Promoters to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel.
However, CM Baghel has refuted the ED’s claim and said that the BJP wants to contest the upcoming Chhattisgarh polls with the help of its “agencies”.
According to ED, cash courier Asim Das was intercepted by the central agency, who was sent from the UAE to deliver a large amount of cash for the electioneering expenses of the ruling Congress party.
The central agency added that Das confessed that Rs 508 crore has been so far paid to the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister by Mahadev App promoters, a charge that Baghel denies. (ANI)