Mahadev betting app case: Dabur Group Chairman Mohit Burman, Director Gaurav Burman named among accused in FIR

The names of Dabur Group Chairman Mohit Burman and Director Gaurav Burman are among the 31 people named as accused in an FIR filed by the Mumbai Police in the Mahadev betting app case, India Today reported

  • Updated Nov 14, 2023, 6:24 PM IST

Dabur Group Chairman Mohit Burman and Director Gaurav Burman are among the 31 people named as accused

Dabur Group Chairman Mohit Burman and Director Gaurav Burman are among the 31 people named as accused

  • Dabur Group Chairman and Director are among the 31 people named as accused in an FIR filed by the Mumbai Police in the Mahadev betting app case
  • The FIR was registered on November 7 based on a complaint by a Matunga resident social activist, Prakash Bankar
  • It revolves around Khiladi App, a subsidiary unit of the Mahadev app

Dabur Group Chairman Mohit Burman and Director Gaurav Burman are among the 31 people named as accused in an FIR filed by the Mumbai Police in the Mahadev betting app case.

The FIR copy was accessed by India Today and it was found that industrialists Mohit Burman and Gaurav Burman are among the accused named in it.

The FIR was registered on November 7 based on a complaint by a Matunga resident social activist, Prakash Bankar. It revolves around Khiladi App, a subsidiary unit of the Mahadev app.

The app is run and promoted by Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, alongwith several other associates and partners.

Enforcement Directorate (ED) is investigating the Mahadev betting app case.

Burman family said the FIR is “provoked by vested interests in an attempt to block the acquisition of Religare Enterprises Limited by Burman Family”.

“We have not received any formal communication on any such FIR. However, we have sighted the FIR which is being circulated to media houses. The FIR is patently false and baseless. Nothing could be further from the truth than as wrongly stated in the FIR. From a copy of the FIR that is being circulated in the media, we note that allegations are being made that Mohit Burman and Gaurav Burman are directly related to some of the accused. There is an “unseen – Exhibit F” which seems to lay out some so-called relationships.

“Mohit Burman and Gaurav Burman do not even know or have ever met the accused mentioned in the FIR being circulated selectively in the media. Curiously, the FIR comes at a time when the Burman Family has sought to increase its existing shareholding of 21.24 % in Religare Enterprises and launched a legitimate open offer under the SEBI Takeover Code. As part of this the Burman Family brought to the notice of the Board and the regulators certain governance issues being perpetrated by Dr. Rashmi Saluja, the current Chairman.

“This FIR is nothing but a step provoked by vested interests in an attempt to block the acquisition of Religare Enterprises Limited by Burman Family. The Burman Family remains shocked at these “arm twisting” moves, which are grossly illegal. Nevertheless, we remain resolute that we will proceed with our acquisition of Religare Enterprises as contemplated.”

Earlier, they had claimed that a forensic analysis and a statement made by a ‘cash courier’ had led to “startling allegations” that Mahadev betting app promoters have paid about Rs 508 crore to the Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel so far, and that “these are subject matter of investigation”.

The BJP attacked Baghel over the Mahadev betting app case, alleging that he was the scam’s “kingpin” and during his term, looted the state to fill the Gandhi family’s coffers.

On November 5, the Centre issued blocking orders against 22 illegal betting platforms, including the Mahadev app and Reddyannaprestopro’, on ED’s request, an official statement said.

The action of banning the 22 illegal betting platforms follows investigations conducted by the ED against an illegal betting app syndicate and subsequent raids in connection with the Mahadev app in Chhattisgarh.

Mahadev betting app case:

The ED investigation has shown that Mahadev Online Book App is run from a central head office in the UAE, officials said, as per PTI. It operates by franchising “Panel/Branches” to their known associates on 70-30 per cent profit ratio, it had said.

Large scale hawala operations are done to siphon off the proceeds of betting to off-shore accounts, it had said.

Large expenditure in cash is also being done in India for advertising of betting websites to attract new users and franchise (panel) seekers, it had said.

The company promoters hail from Bhilai in Chhattisgarh and the Mahadev online book betting application is an umbrella syndicate arranging online platforms for enabling illegal betting websites.

Many Bollywood actors were under scanner as they had promoted the illegal betting app — which included Ranbir Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Huma Qureshi, Nushrat Bharucha, Sunny Leone and others.

(With inputs from PTI)