A key suspect in the Mahadev gambling app case, Mrugank Mishra, was detained by security personnel at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport upon arrival from Dubai, an official said on Monday.
Mishra is accused of helping the promoters of Mahadev gambling apps open hundreds of dubious bank accounts to divert money generated from the scam. His custody was later taken by a police team from Rajasthan where he is facing a case of cheating and forgery in connection with the Mahadev app issue, the official said.
The 25-year-old was arrested by security personnel at the airport on Saturday after arriving from Dubai and handed over to the Sahar Police in Mumbai. A team from Pratapgarh police in Rajasthan came to Mumbai on Sunday, took him into custody and placed him under arrest, he said.
Mishra is wanted in connection with a cheating and forgery case registered at Pratapgarh police station and related to the Mahadev gambling app case. A lookout circular (LOC) has been issued against him, the official said. An LoC is used by authorities to restrict the movement of a person accused of a crime.
Mishra allegedly helped the promoters of Mahadev apps open hundreds of dubious bank accounts to divert money from betting. He opened these bank accounts in the names of common people after promising them that they would get money from various government schemes, he said.
Originally from Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh, Mishra has been hiding in the Gulf city for the past few months, the official said.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has earlier said that the Mahadev Online Book App was used to sign up new users, create identity proofs and launder money through a layered web of benami bank accounts.
Large-scale hawala operations were being carried out to siphon betting proceeds into offshore accounts, the ED had said, adding that the company that owned the app was carrying out operations from Dubai.