Probe agency searches EaseMyTrip founder Nishant Pitti's premises in Mahadev online betting app case

The Enforcement Directorate or ED on Wednesday conducted fresh multi-state searches, including at the premises of the founder of EaseMyTrip Nishant Pitti, in connection with the Mahadev online betting app linked-money laundering case, news agency PTI reported, citing unnamed officials.

The raids covered 55 locations, including in Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Indore, Jaipur, Chennai and Sambalpur in Odisha, PTI reported.

The premises of Nishant Pitti, founder and chairman of online travel booking platform EaseMyTrip, were also covered.

EaseMyTrip denies association with Mahadev betting app

On Thursday, the travel booking platform, however, denied any direct or indirect association with the Mahadev betting app or any other betting platform.

In a regulatory filing, the company informed that a search was done under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. It stated that no seizure was made from the search at one of its "office premises".

In a statement, an EaseMyTrip spokesperson said, "As per information available in the public domain, the ED conducted searches at over 50 locations of various persons/ corporates. Amongst them one was EaseMyTrip premises.

"While EaseMyTrip has no direct or indirect association with the Mahadev betting app or any other betting platform, we remain fully committed to cooperating with the authorities throughout the course of the investigation".

In a regulatory filing, the company informed that the search operation was conducted by Directorate of Enforcement at one of its office premises.

"The premises was searched and no incriminating documents and digital records was found in the premises. No seizure was made from the premises," EaseMyTrip said.

What is Mahadev online betting app case?

• The Mahadev online betting app case made headlines after the ED claimed a few years back that many high-ranking politicians and bureaucrats from Chhattisgarh are alleged to have been involved in the illegal operation and subsequent monetary transactions linked to the app.
• The ED has alleged in the past that its probe in the Mahadev Online Betting (MOB) gaming and betting app has shown involvement of various high-ranking politicians and bureaucrats from Chhattisgarh, the state where the two main promoters, Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, of the app hail from.
• The federal probe agency had said the MOB app is an umbrella syndicate arranging online platforms for enabling illegal betting websites to enroll new users, create user IDs and laundering of money through a layered web of benami bank accounts.