Dubai-Based "Hawala Operator" Faces Asset Freeze in Mahadev App Money Laundering Case

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has taken decisive action, freezing security holdings worth over Rs 580 crore belonging to a Dubai-based "hawala operator." Simultaneously, they seized cash and valuables valued at Rs 3.64 crore during recent raids linked to the Mahadev app money laundering case.

These latest raids, conducted on February 28, spanned various locations in Kolkata, Gurugram, Delhi, Indore, Mumbai, and Raipur. The ED's investigation into the Mahadev online gaming and betting app has revealed the alleged involvement of high-ranking politicians and bureaucrats from Chhattisgarh.

The central figure in this case is Hari Shankar Tibrewal, identified as the "hawala operator." Originally from Kolkata, Tibrewal currently resides in Dubai. He collaborated with the Mahadev app promoters and was also associated with an illicit betting app called Skyexchange.

Under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), ED has frozen security holdings amounting to Rs 580.78 crore that Tibrewal "beneficially owns." Additionally, during the search operations, the agency recovered Rs 1.86 crore in cash and Rs 1.78 crore worth of valuables.

To date, the ED has apprehended nine individuals in connection with this case. The agency previously asserted that the alleged illegal funds generated through the Mahadev app were utilized to pay bribes to politicians and bureaucrats in Chhattisgarh—the very state where the app's main promoters and operators originate.

Two charge sheets have been filed by the ED in this case, targeting the primary promoters, Sourabh Chandrakar, and Ravi Uppal, associated with the illicit betting and gaming app. The projected proceeds of crime in this extensive case amount to approximately Rs 6,000 crore.