ED searches EaseMyTrip founder Nishant Pitti’s premises in Mahadev online betting app case

India's Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday, April 16, conducted a raid into EaseMyTrip founder Nishant Pitti's premises allegedly linked to the Mahadev online betting app in relation to a money laundering scheme, reported the news agency PTI, citing officials aware of the development. 

The enforcement directorate also conducted searches at premises located in Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Indore, Jaipur, Chennai, and Sambalpur in Odisha, reported the news agency citing the officials.

The authorities have named several high-ranking politicians and bureaucrats from Chhattisgarh who were reportedly involved with the illegal operations and the monetary transactions through the betting application, as per the report.

Mahadev Online Betting App Scam

According to Mint's earlier report, the online betting platform Mahadev Book was allegedly involved in a money laundering scheme, which prompted the ED to flag the platform for orchestrating match-fixing through its Mahadev and Khiladi apps. 

The app was reportedly involved in laundering illicit funds worth more than ₹450 crore, with estimates indicating that ₹5,000 crore was diverted through “hawala transactions.”

Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal were the two individuals based out of Dubai who were claimed to be overseeing the operations.

The latest development on the case was that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) named former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel as one of the accused in the Mahadev Betting app case.

According to an ANI report, as many as 21 people were named in the FIR, which was made public in connection with the Mahadev online betting app case.

CBI charged the accused like Ravi Uppal, Shubham Soni (Pintu), Chandra Vhushan Verma, Assem Das, Satish Chandrakar, Nitish Deewan, Saurabh Chandrakar, Anil Agarwal (Atul Agarwal) Vikas Chhapriya, Rohit Gaulati, Vishal Ahuja, Dheeraj Ahuja, Anil Kumar Dammani, Sunil Kumar Dammani, Bhim Singh Yadav, Harishankar Tibarwal, Surendra Bagi, Suraj Chokhani and two other unknown persons, including a police officer with multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code.

The first FIR on the case was received on March 4, 2024 which alleged that the entity was operating the betting services illegally.

Over the years, multiple searches have been conducted by the ED and CBI at more than 60 locations across India to find individuals suspected of involvement in the case. 

EasyMyTrip's Response

EasyMyTrip, in an official statement, announced that the company has no direct or indirect association with the Mahadev Betting App or any other betting platform.

“As per information available in the public domain, the ED conducted searches at over 50 locations of various persons/ corporates. Amongst them one was EaseMyTrip premises,” said a company spokesperson in an official statement.

“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,” they told Mint.