A man was intercepted in Raipur based on an intelligence input.
Just five days ahead of the first phase of polling in Chhattisgarh, the Enforcement Directorate has seized nearly Rs 5 crore in cash that was allegedly sent from the UAE by the promoters of the Mahadev betting app to fund the election expenses of a political party, officials said. The app's promoters, who are now based in the UAE, belong to the state.
"Acting on an intelligence input, the agency intercepted a man who was sent from the UAE by the promoters of the Mahadev App. The man, who was acting as a courier, was intercepted at a hotel in Raipur and Rs 3.12 crore in cash was seized from his vehicle. Rs 1.8 crore in cash was also found at his hideout in Bhilai," an official said on Thursday.
The input pertained to the promoters of the app, which is under investigation by the agency, moving cash into the state in connection with the upcoming assembly elections. A few benami accounts linked to the firm behind the app were also identified and the amounts in them add up to about Rs 10 crore. The role of some government servants in the delivery is suspected, said the official.
In September, the ED had recovered gold bars, jewellery, and cash worth Rs 417 crore when they had conducted searches at 39 locations linked to the Mahadev betting app. The promoters of the app, Saurabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, belong to Chhattisgarh's Bhilai and are now based in the UAE.
The agency had earlier said that the app would see transactions of thousands of crores and turn a profit of Rs 200 crore a day. Several arrests have been made and the involvement of police personnel, politicians and bureaucrats is suspected.
The agency has also summoned or questioned celebrities like Ranbir Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor and Kapil Sharma for performing at Saurabh Chandrakar's Rs 200-crore wedding in the UAE in February, payments for which were allegedly made through hawala transactions.
The first phase of polling in Chhattisgarh will be held on November 7 and the second phase is scheduled for November 17.