Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) stated on Saturday that its Raipur zonal unit has issued a Provisional Attachment Order under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, attaching assets worth Rs 387.99 crore in connection with the ongoing Mahadev Online Book betting case. The order, issued on December 5, 2024, marks a significant escalation in the ED’s crackdown on the syndicate’s illegal financial operations.

According to the ED statement, the attached assets include investments linked to one of the accused, Hari Shankar Tibrewal, through a Mauritius-based company, M/s Tano Investment Opportunities Fund. These investments, channeled via Foreign Portfolio Investment (FPI) and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), are part of a broader financial network facilitating the betting operations. In addition to these investments, several immovable properties located in Chhattisgarh, Mumbai, and Madhya Pradesh, belonging to the syndicate’s promoters and their associates, have also been seized.

The ED’s investigations have revealed that M/s Mahadev Online Book, an umbrella syndicate, has been running online platforms for illegal betting. The syndicate’s operations include enrolling new users, creating User IDs, and laundering money through a complex web of benami bank accounts, further complicating efforts to track the illicit funds.

As part of its ongoing investigation, the ED has seized and frozen assets, including cash amounting to Rs 19.36 crore and valuables worth Rs 16.68 crore. Additionally, movable assets, such as bank balances and securities, totaling Rs 1,729.17 crore, have been frozen. Earlier in the case, two Provisional Attachment Orders were issued, attaching assets worth Rs 142.86 crore. In total, the ED has seized, frozen, or attached proceeds of crime worth approximately Rs 2,295.61 crore.

In a breakthrough development, ED investigators uncovered that substantial funds generated from the betting business were being funneled into the stock market through a network of dummy companies. These companies, operated by several accused and absconding associates, were reportedly used to divert Rs 423 crore into stock portfolios as of February 29, 2024. Professional entry operators helped manipulate these funds, converting them into legitimate transactions through unlisted equity dealings, masking the illicit origins of the money.

So far, the ED has arrested 11 individuals in connection with the Mahadev Online Book betting case and has filed four Prosecution Complaints before the Hon’ble Special Court (PMLA) in Raipur. The investigation continues, with more arrests and seizures expected as financial probe authorities work to dismantle the syndicate’s operations and recover the illicit proceeds.

Despite the BJP alliance forming the government after the state assembly elections, the public sentiment is that this government does not reflect their votes. It is not a government of the people’s mandate. The sentiment of the people in Markadwadi mirrors that of the majority in the state. Respecting public opinion, members of the Mahavikas Aghadi (MVA) have decided not to take their oath today, stated Nana Patole, President of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee.

Speaking to the media in the Assembly premises, Nana Patole said that MVA leaders would meet with NCP President Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray to strategize the next steps. He added, “The BJP alliance government is not the people’s government. After coming to power through vote theft, they wasted crores of rupees on an extravagant swearing-in ceremony at Azad Maidan. Meanwhile, suicides among youth and farmers have increased, with 773 farmers ending their lives in the Nagpur region alone. Yet, the BJP alliance remains indifferent and chose to celebrate their government formation lavishly.”

Markadwadi’s Fight.

“The responsibility to protect democracy and voting rights lies with us,” Patole said. He emphasized Congress’ resolve to spread the spark ignited in Markadwadi across the nation. Discussions with Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, have already been held, and preparations for a movement demanding ballot paper voting are underway in Delhi. Once everything is in place, a decision will be made to make the Markadwadi movement a nationwide one, he stated.

Commenting on the Income Tax Department’s return of Ajit Pawar’s seized assets worth ₹1,000 crores, Patole said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s slogan of ‘Na khaunga, na khane dunga’ (Neither will I indulge in corruption, nor allow others to) does not apply to his own people. This is an attempt to cover up the corrupt dealings of leaders allied with the BJP,” he added.

Mumbai: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief Ajit Pawar hit back at Shiv Sena UBT Aaditya Thackeray’s allegations questioning the legitimacy of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), stating that the opposition should approach the Election Commission or the courts if they have concerns.

“There is no point in making such allegations here. They (the opposition) should go to the Election Commission and if they do not get justice there, they should approach the court,” said the newly sworn-in MLA Ajit Pawar.

This comes after Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray announced that the party’s winning MLAs will not take the oath of office on Saturday during the ongoing special session of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.

Shiv Sena-UBT Leader Aaditya Thackeray Raises Doubts About The Legitimacy of EVMs

Thackeray raised doubts about the legitimacy of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).”Today we have decided that our (Shiv Sena UBT) winning MLAs will not take the oath. If this was the mandate of the people, people would have been happy and celebrated it. However, there was no such celebration or enthusiasm from the public. We have doubts about EVM,” Aaditya Thackeray said.

Shiv Sena UBT leader Aaditya Thackeray along with party workers also paid tribute to Shivaji Maharaj at the Vidhan Bhavan complex.

The three-day special session of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly is underway.

Statement Of Shiv Sena Leader Uday Samant

Earlier, speaking to ANI, Shiv Sena leader Uday Samant said, “Today’s priority is the oath-taking ceremony of 288 MLAs and holding the election of the speaker of the Maharashtra Assembly. After that, our 3 leaders CM Fadnavis and two Dy CMs Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar will together decide on when to do the cabinet expansion and which departments we will be getting. Our leader is Eknath Shinde, we have given him the authority to take all the political decisions to him, and all our MLAs will agree with whatever decision he takes.”

Devendra Fadnavis, Eknath Shinde & Ajit Pawar Take Oath As Members Of The Maharashtra Legislative Assembly

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar took oath as members of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on Saturday.

Before taking oath, CM Fadnavis along with DCMs Shinde and Pawar earlier this morning paid tribute to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, at the Vidhan Bhavan complex in Mumbai on day 1 of the Maharashtra Assembly special session.

As the oath ceremony of MLAs is underway at the Vidhan Bhavan, NCP MP Sunil Tatkare said, “The oath ceremony of all the MLAs is taking place. With the amount of love the public has given to the Mahayuti alliance, we will work for the development of Maharashtra.”

Maharashtra Deputy CM and NCP chief Ajit Pawar earlier said, “Today I paid tribute to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj along with Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy CM Eknath Shinde and other leaders of Mahayuti. We want to work following the ideology of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and BR Ambedkar. The voters of Maharashtra have given us a lot of support and I express my gratitude to them.”

The election for the new Maharashtra Assembly Speaker is expected to be held on Monday, December 9.

Senior BJP MLA Kalidas Sulochana Kolambkar Sworn In As The Pro-Tem Speaker

Senior BJP MLA Kalidas Sulochana Kolambkar was sworn in as the pro-tem Speaker of the Assembly by Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan on Friday, a day ahead of the three-day special session of the Assembly.

Devendra Fadnavis Takes Oath As The CM Of Maharashtra For The Third Time

Devendra Fadnavis took oath as Maharashtra Chief Minister for the third time in an event held in Mumbai on Thursday and was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with several leaders of the alliance as well as celebrities from across fields. Deputy Chief Ministers Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde also took oath during the occasion.

The Maharashtra Assembly Election 2024 witnessed a decisive victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Mahayuti alliance, securing a landslide win with 235 seats. The results marked a significant milestone for the BJP, which emerged as the single-largest party with 132 seats.

The Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party also made notable gains, with 57 and 41 seats, respectively.

The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) suffered a major setback with Congress winning just 16 seats. Its alliance partner, Shiv Sena (UBT), won 20 seats, while the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) secured only 10 seats.