MUMBAI: The Mumbai Crime Branch’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) has arrested Bharat Chaudhary in connection with the Rs 15,000-crore Mahadev betting app scam. Chaudhary was produced in court and remanded to police custody for five days.
Chaudhary, who had been living in Dubai for 4-5 years, provided technical support and troubleshooting services for apps similar to the Mahadev app. This is the third arrest in the case, following the earlier arrests of Dixit Kothari and actor/influencer Sahil Khan.
A Lookout Circular (LOC) had been issued against Chaudhary, who was also wanted in a Gujarat case related to similar apps. He was arrested by Gujarat Police on July 23 at the airport and later taken into custody by the Mumbai Crime Branch.
The case initially registered at Matunga police station, was transferred to the Mumbai Crime Branch, and an SIT was formed to investigate. In 2023, Mumbai’s Matunga police had filed a case based on a court order, alleging that the Mahadev app and similar apps had caused a Rs 15,000 crore loss to the Government of India.
In November last year, the ED had also conducted searches against the money laundering networks linked with the alleged Mahadev Book Online Betting App, which led to the recovery of cash of Rs 5.39 crore and a bank balance of Rs 15.59 crore.
The agency has summoned several celebrities and Bollywood actors for questioning regarding their connections with the online betting platform and payment methods involved. Those implicated in the case include Mustakim, brother of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, and chief accused Ravi Uppal, who was detained in Dubai last year. (ANI)