Mumbai: Actor Sahil Khan’s four-day, nearly 1,800-kilometer journey across five states to evade arrest in connection with the Mahadev betting app case came to an end on Saturday when he was taken into custody in Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh. After a court denied his request for anticipatory bail, Mr. Khan left on April 25. The actor first left Maharashtra and then stopped in Goa. After that, he traveled to Hubballi in Karnataka and then on to Hyderabad. To avoid being discovered, Mr. Khan took on a disguise, dressing modestly and hiding his identity with a scarf. But while he was in Hyderabad, the cops were able to locate him, so the actor quickly fled to Chhattisgarh. The actor, who is well-known for his parts in movies like “Style” and “Excuse Me,” decided to drive through a Maoist-infested region of Chhattisgarh even though his driver was hesitant to do so at night.
After an intense 72 hours of tracking by the Mumbai police, Mr. Khan was finally taken into custody. When the actor was taken into custody, the cops took two cell phones and some cash from him. A Mumbai court has remanded Mr. Khan in police detention until May 1. Mr. Khan is purportedly responsible for promoting betting sites like Lotus 24/7 and Lion Book, which are connected to the Mahadev app, on several websites. Furthermore, according to the police, he has a financial stake in the Lotus Book 24/7 application. He and three other people were summoned by the Mumbai Crime Branch in December 2023 to be questioned about their alleged role in the promotion of the Mahadev betting app. Authorities found out throughout the investigation that Mr. Khan actively participated in the Lion Book app’s promotional efforts in addition to endorsing it.
What Is The Betting App Mahadev?
The Mahadev Online betting app, run by Chhattisgarh native Saurabh Chandrakar and Dubai native Ravi Uppal, used sponsored social media adverts to lure users into placing bets on the results of football, tennis, IPL matches, and other sporting events. In addition, actors Tamannaah Bhatia, Shraddha Kapoor, and Ranbir Kapoor were called in to promote the betting app and its associated websites.
Users of the app were given two unique numbers: one for making bets and another for cashing out their profits. All bets were adjusted to guarantee the company’s profits, and these accounts were opened fraudulently. Even though many new customers made quick gains at first, over time they lost a lot of money.
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Khan posted something on social media about two years ago, claiming to be a partner in the Lotus 365 app, which is housed on MOB, and urging people to utilize it for online betting. “We investigated the matter and found several pieces of evidence wherein he was seen promoting the app,” a crime branch officer stated, “even though he removed the post after a first information report was registered against him at the Matunga police station in November 2023.”
The sessions court denied Khan’s request for anticipatory bail on December 13, 2023, citing the accused’s usage of multiple platforms, including Laser Book, Tiger Exchange, Ready Anna, Mahadev, and Lotus 365, in their conspiracy. He allegedly escaped Mumbai in a private vehicle on April 24 while masking his name, according to reports, after the Bombay High Court also rejected his request for anticipatory relief. The sources further stated that while he was on the run, he frequently changed his position, and the police used hints from technical data to follow his trail through Goa, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Chhattisgarh. It was at a hotel in Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh, that members of the special investigation team (SIT) eventually apprehended Khan. After that, he was taken to Mumbai and taken into custody.
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The bench further stated that up to 67 betting websites were identified by EOW’s inquiry, all of which were under the control of “foreign destinations.” The investigation discovered that more than 2,000 fictitious SIM cards—obtained on fictitious documents—were used to trick unsuspecting individuals into wagering on different games. Money was collected and withdrawn from almost 1,700 bank accounts created with fictitious documentation, and it was then transferred via Hawala networks and cryptocurrency,” the statement continued.
Based on a complaint filed by social activist Prakash Bankar, who claimed that multiple web portals were made for online betting/gambling on sports including football, cricket, tennis, and card games like “teen patti,” etc., the Matunga Police first filed a formal complaint in November 2023.
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