Raipur: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) issued orders recently to block 22 illegal betting apps and websites, which include Mahadev Book Online and Reddyannaprestopro.
These directives were issued under Section 69A of the IT Act, following investigations carried out by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) into an unlawful betting app syndicate. The ED recently conducted raids on Mahadev Book in Chhattisgarh, uncovering the app’s illicit activities.
The agency also alleged that the promoters of the Mahadev Book App had made regular payments of approximately Rs 508 crore to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel.
“Chhattisgarh government had all the power to recommend shutting down of website/app under Sec 69A IT Act. However, they did not do so and no such request was made by the State government while they have been investigating it from last 1.5 years,” stated Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State for Electronics and IT.
“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,” Chandrasekhar added.
As part of the investigation last month, the ED froze and seized assets worth Rs 417 crore in connection with the Mahadev App online betting case.
The probe agency has currently arrested at least four individuals under Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for the commission of the offence of money laundering under Section 3, punishable under Section 4 of PMLA, 2002.
Additionally, the probe agency conducted searches against the money laundering networks associated with Mahadev App in cities like Kolkata, Bhopal, Mumbai, etc.
The inquiry unveiled that the Mahadev App operates from a central headquarters in the UAE. The company employed an online book betting application to enlist new users and engage in money laundering via multiple anonymous bank accounts.
In accordance with recent amendments to the IT rules, online real money gaming or websites involving betting or wagering as an outcome will not be allowed to operate.
The government aims to use these rule changes to guarantee that online gaming firms adhere to Indian laws and that users are safeguarded against potential harm, especially in connection with betting or gambling results in games.
The government has additionally announced the introduction of a self-regulation system to oversee games that involve real currency without endorsing betting or gambling as potential results. Nevertheless, the government has not yet established an authorised self-regulatory organisation (SRO) for this purpose.
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