Mumbai:

A court in Mumbai has granted bail to actor Sahil Khan in the Mahadev betting app case. Additional sessions judge VM Pathade allowed his bail application on Wednesday, though the detailed order was not available yet.

Mr Khan, in his plea, claimed that most of the allegations against him were “speculative” and there was no concrete evidence.

The complaint filed against the actor was politically motivated, said the plea filed through advocate Faiz Merchant.

Not a single member or player using the Mahadev Online Book app – which is accused of facilitating online betting on a variety of games and activities – had filed a complaint against any of the accused named in the First Information Report, the application said.

The accused cooperated with the investigation since his arrest, it pointed out.

The actor was arrested from Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh in April this year after the Bombay High Court rejected his pre-arrest bail plea.

Mr Khan, known for films like “Style” and “Excuse Me”, now works as a fitness expert.

A special investigation team is conducting a probe into alleged illegal transactions between certain financial and real estate firms and the promoters of the controversial app.

The size of the scam was about Rs 15,000 crore, as per the FIR registered by the Matunga police.

Police claimed in their reply to the bail plea that an investigation was underway against Sahil Khan and 31 other individuals.

The Enforcement Directorate is also investigating the money laundering aspect of the case.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Mumbai:

Nearly 1,800 km across five states in four days – actor Sahil Khan’s cross-country adventure to avoid being arrested in the Mahadev betting app case came to a halt on Saturday when he was arrested from Chhattisgarh’s Jagdalpur. 

Mr Khan hit the road on April 25 after his anticipatory bail plea was rejected by a court. The actor fled Maharashtra first before a pit stop in Goa. From there he went to Karnataka’s Hubballi followed by a journey to Hyderabad. To evade detection, Mr Khan adopted a disguise, donning unassuming attire and concealing his identity behind a scarf.

However, the police managed to track his location while he was in Hyderabad, prompting the actor to hastily flee towards Chhattisgarh. The actor, known for his roles in films like ‘Style’ and ‘Excuse Me’, chose to travel through a Maoist-prone area of Chhattisgarh despite his driver’s reluctance to drive on those roads at night time. 

Despite his efforts to evade capture, Mr Khan’s luck ran out when police aarrested him at the Aradhya International Hotel in Jagdalpur.

The Mumbai police had been tirelessly tracking Mr Khan for a gruelling 72-hour period, ultimately leading to his arrest. Upon his arrest, the police confiscated two mobile phones and a sum of cash from the actor. Mr Khan has been remanded in police custody until May 1 by a Mumbai court.

Mr Khan is allegedly involved in the promotion of betting platforms such as Lion Book and Lotus 24/7, which have ties to the Mahadev app, across various websites. Additionally, police claim that he holds a financial interest in the Lotus Book 24/7 application.

In December 2023, the Mumbai Crime Branch summoned him, along with three others, for interrogation regarding their suspected involvement in promoting the Mahadev betting app. During the investigation, authorities discovered that Mr Khan not only endorsed the Lion Book app but also actively participated in their promotional activities.

However, Mr Khan maintains that he lacks a direct affiliation with the gambling platform.

What Is The Mahadev Betting App?

Operated by Saurabh Chandrakar from Chhattisgarh and Ravi Uppal from Dubai, the Mahadev Online betting app used paid advertisements on social media platforms to entice users into betting on outcomes of IPL matches, football, tennis, and various other sports events.

Actors Ranbir Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, and Tamannaah Bhatia were also summoned for their involvement in promoting the betting app and its affiliated platforms.

Customers of the app were assigned two distinct numbers-one for depositing betting funds and the other for withdrawing winnings. These accounts were created through fraudulent means, and all bets were manipulated to ensure the company’s profitability.

While many new users initially experienced quick gains, they eventually incurred substantial losses over time.