ED Makes Two Fresh Arrests in Mahadev App Money Laundering Case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested two more individuals – Nitin Tibrewal and Amit Agrawal – in connection with its ongoing investigation into the Mahadev online betting app money laundering case, officials confirmed Saturday. Tibrewal and Agrawal were detained under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and presented before a special court in Raipur on Friday. The court remanded them to ED custody until January 17, ED lawyer Saurabh Pandey stated.

Tibrewal is suspected of being a close associate of Vikash Chapparia, another accused in the case. ED sources allege his involvement in purchasing undisclosed" properties in Dubai and holding a majority stake in an FPI company where Chapparia is also a shareholder. The agency believes these assets were acquired using proceeds of crime generated from the Mahadev app.

Amit Agrawal, according to sources, is related to another accused, Anil Kumar Agrawal. He allegedly received Mahadev app funds from Anil Kumar Agrawal, and his wife is suspected of collaborating with Anil Dammani (another accused) in acquiring multiple properties.

Notably, the ED attached two Dubai-based properties – a flat and a plot worth Rs 99.46 crore – belonging to Chhapparia and Anil Agrawal last year. The agency previously stated that illicit funds from the app were used to bribe politicians and bureaucrats in Chhattisgarh. Several celebrities and Bollywood actors were also questioned regarding their connections to the platform.

So far, the ED has filed two charge sheets in the case, including charges against the app's alleged main promoters, Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal. The duo was recently detained in Dubai based on an Interpol red notice issued at the ED's request. The agency is currently pursuing their deportation or extradition from the UAE to India.