'Mahadev betting app': Mumbai police book 32 people for 'fraud' of Rs 15,000 cr

Mumbai crime news Mumbai police has booked 32 people including the promoter of the Mahadev betting app for allegedly committing a fraud of nearly Rs 15000 croreAn official of Matunga police said a first information report FIR was registered on Tuesday against ldquoapp promoter Saurabh Chandrakarrdquo and key accused Ravi Uppal and Shubham Soni and others for committing the fraud since 2019 until nowThe case was registered on the direction of the 30th Kurla court under Indian Penal Code sections 420 cheating 120B conspiracy IT Act for cyber terrorism and the Gambling Act the official said according to news agency PTIAs per the FIR the accused have defrauded people of nearly Rs 15000 croreThe Enforcement Directorate last week claimed that a forensic analysis and a statement made by a cash courier had led to ldquostartling allegationsrdquo that Mahadev betting app promoters have paid about Rs 508 crore to the Chhattisgarh chief minister so far and that these are subject matter of investigationLater the BJP released a video of Shubham Soni saying he was the owner of the app and had the ldquoproofrdquo of paying Rs 508 crore so far to Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh BaghelAlso read Thane man sentenced to 7 years in prison for injuring exgirlfriend her motherOn November 5 the Centre issued blocking orders against 22 illegal betting platforms including the Mahadev app and Reddyannaprestopro on EDs request an official statement saidThe action of banning the 22 illegal betting platforms follows investigations conducted by the ED against an illegal betting app syndicate and subsequent raids in connection with the Mahadev app in ChhattisgarhArchitect booked for firing in air in Navi Mumbai industrial areaMeanwhile a 44yearold architect allegedly fired in air from a revolver near a hotel in an industrial area in Navi Mumbai after being miffed with a contractor for not returning the money lent to him police said on WednesdayNo one was injured in the incident which took place at around 930 pm on Tuesday in the Turbhe Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation MIDC area an official from Turbhe police station saidWhile firing the accused said he had given a loan of Rs 5 lakh to the contractor of a hotel in Turbhe but he did not return the moneyThe accused was upset as he did not get the money back and out of frustration fired one round in air near the hotel from his foreign made licensed revolver the official said quoting the FIRThe police seized the revolver and 15 live cartridges from the accused he saidBased on a complaint by an employee of the hotel the police have registered a case against the accused under Indian Penal Code section 336 act endangering life or personal safety of others and provisions of the Arms Act he added With inputs from PTI