ED questions TV host Shefali Bagga in Mahadev betting app case

Raipur, Jul 16 (PTI) The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday questioned television host Shefali Bagga as part of its ongoing money laundering investigation into the multi-crore-rupee Mahadev online betting app case, officials said. The central agency recorded her statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after she deposed at its zonal office in the capital city of Chhattisgarh. Bagga's residence in Delhi was raided by the ED on May 30 from where the ED seized Rs 30 lakh in cash, an amount alleged to have been earned by her from the promotion of betting apps that are illegal in India, officials said. Bagga was an associate of a man identified as Khanjan (Jagdish Kumar) Thakkar who reportedly runs and promotes betting apps in the country and also runs their financial operations through hawala, the ED alleged. Bagga was not immediately available for a comment. The ED suspects Bagga was the face of some betting apps that are being operated from Dubai and London. It is understood that the ED asked her if she was giving tips to the players on these apps, officials said, adding the agency has gathered some social media posts in this regard. The agency has alleged that the Mahadev betting app case involves high-ranking politicians and bureaucrats from Chhattisgarh and the proceeds of crime generated in the case stand at Rs 6,000 crore. According to the agency, the Mahadev online betting app operated as a large-scale international betting syndicate that facilitated alleged illegal betting through multiple online platforms and domain names, such as 'Tiger Exchange', 'Gold365' and 'Laser247'. The operations were structured through a franchise-based network of "panels" and "branches" operated by associates across India, while the main absconding promoters -- Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal -- operated and controlled the betting syndicate from Dubai, the ED has said. It recently arrested Ebix Group chairman Vikas Garg, the 14th person to be arrested in this case. The agency has named 74 entities as accused in the five chargesheets filed so far before a special PMLA court in Raipur. PTI NES KVK KVK