Pune Rural Police Suspect Dubai Hawala Transactions via Mahadev Betting App
Pune Rural Police Suspect Dubai Hawala Transactions via Mahadev Betting App
The Pune rural police on Friday announced suspicions of Dubai hawala transactions being facilitated through the Mahadev betting app. This online platform has been linked to illegal gambling on games like poker, cricket, and football.
To date, authorities have arrested 93 individuals and detained three minors involved in the scam. However, the search for two prime suspects continues.
During a May 15 raid on a three-storey building in NarayanGaon, the police apprehended 93 people and detained three minors. They confiscated 45 laptops, 89 mobiles, 101 additional mobiles used by the accused, 452 bank passbooks, cheque books, and other items totaling ₹62.74 lakh. Eighty-eight of those arrested, employed at a Business Process Outsourcing (BPO)-like setup, have been placed in magisterial custody.
The prime accused, identified as Kunal Sunil Bhat (28) from Jalgaon, Sameer Yunus Pathan (25) from Junnar, Rashid Kamal Sharif Pulla (28) and Amjad Khan Sardan Khan (32) from Uttar Pradesh, and Yash Rajendra Singh Chauhan (27) from Rajasthan, have been remanded to police custody until May 20. The search for two other key suspects, Hritik Suresh Kothari and Raj Bokariya, is ongoing.
A senior police officer revealed that Bhat and the others had visited Dubai multiple times, raising suspicions of their involvement in hawala transactions. This prompted the police to demand their custody for further questioning.
Investigations uncovered that the accused operated illicitly under the guise of a call center. They lured individuals from different states with promises of good salaries but failed to pay their wages for two to three months, trapping many employees.
Previously, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had exposed a massive illegal gambling operation run through the Mahadev betting app. This platform allowed bets on various games, including poker, cards, cricket, badminton, tennis, and even the Indian Lok Sabha elections. The app was used to fix matches, launder money via cryptocurrency, and ensure continuous profits for the organizers despite player losses. The ED’s investigation even questioned politicians and Bollywood celebrities regarding their alleged involvement.
A case has been registered at the Narayan Gaon police station under sections 420, 464, 465, 467, 468, and 471 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC); sections 4 and 5 of the Maharashtra Prevention of Gambling Act 1887; and section 66C of the Information Technology Act. The local crime branch continues to investigate further.
