EaseMyTrip breaks silence on ED searches, denies links to Mahadev and other betting apps

EaseMyTrip has clarified that it has no connection with the Mahadev app or any other betting app after the Enforcement Directorate conducted searches in more than 50 locations, including the company's Gurugram office.

“While EaseMyTrip has no direct or indirect association with the Mahadev Betting App or any other betting platform, we remain fully committed to cooperating with the authorities throughout the course of the investigation,” the company said in an exchange filing on Thursday, April 17.

Nationwide searches at Nishant Pitti's premises

ED searched EaseMyTrip founder Nishant Pitti's premises at different locations in the country on Wednesday. The searches were conducted in Mumbai (Maharashtra), Delhi, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad (Gujarat), Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Jaipur (Rajasthan), Chennai (Tamil Nadu) and Sambalpur in Odisha.

EaseMyTrip.com was set up in 2008 and Pitti brothers, namely Nishant, Rikant and Prashant founded it. The ED believes some "proceeds of crime" from the illegal operations of the app (application) amounting to nearly ₹6,000 crore went to entities connected to Pitti.

Know about Mahadev Online Betting app case

The Mahadev Online Betting (MOB) app case garnered widespread attention after the ED alleged several years ago that many high-ranking politicians and bureaucrats from Chhattisgarh are alleged to have been involved in the illegal operation and related monetary transactions linked to the app.

It has claimed in the past that its investigation in the MOB gaming and betting app disclosed involvement of numerious high-ranking politicians and bureaucrats from Chhattisgarh, where the two main promoters, Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, of the app belong to.

The federal probe agency had stated the MOB app is an umbrella syndicate arranging online platforms for facilitating illegal betting by providing online platforms to register new users, generate user IDs, and launder money through a complex network of benami bank accounts.

It has arrested 12 people in this case till now and has registered a total of four charge sheets, including attaching, freezing or seizing properties worth ₹2,426 crore.

(With inputs from agencies)