Actor Sahil Khan and Fitness Influencer was arrested by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Mumbai Police Crime Branch in Chhattisgarh’s Jagdalpur yesterday in connection with the Mahadev Betting App scam following Mumbai Police’s 40-hour-long operation.
He is charged alongside 31 others for promoting the app. Sahil Khan was produced in a court in Dadar and remanded to police custody until May 1.
The Actor was arrested after the rejection of his Interim bail petition by the Bombay High Court, Sources Indicate he fled Mumbai after his post-petition was rejected. He has been remanded to four-days in Police custody.
However, a single-judge bench of Justice SV Kotwal disagreed.
“The entire operation is illegal. A huge amount is involved. Fictitious bank accounts are created. Different fake SIM cards are used in big numbers. The applicant is directly connected with the App ‘The Lion Book247,” Justice Kotwal said in his order, dismissing the plea. The bench also noted that EOW’s investigation had revealed that there were as many as 67 betting websites, with each being controlled from “foreign destinations.”
“He had been on the run for 40 hours, from Goa to Karnataka, then Hyderabad, and finally caught in Jagdalpur. We will produce him before a local court,” Joint Commissioner (JCP), Mumbai Crime Branch, said on Sunday.
#WATCH | Actor Sahil Khan brought to Mumbai from Chhattisgarh. He has been arrested by the Mumbai Crime Branch’s SIT in connection with the Mahadev Betting App case.
“I believe in the judiciary of the country,” he says pic.twitter.com/HirOzizuXb — ANI (@ANI) April 28, 2024
Who is Sahil Khan? The 47- year old Actor is known for his role in movies like ‘Style’ ‘Excuse Me’, ‘Aladdin’, and ‘FALTU’. He is also a fitness enthusiast and entrepreneur, sharing fitness content on his YouTube channel, He has over 2.8 million subscribers. He married Iranian-born Norwegian actress Negar Khan in 2003 but the couple parted ways two years later. About the Mahadev Betting App? The Mahadev Betting App uses paid advertisements on social media platforms to encourage individuals to place bets on players and outcomes of various sports such as IPL Matches, Football, Tennis, and more.
The App is operated by Chhattisgarh’s Saurabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal from Dubai, Customers of the app were given two numbers one for depositing money for the betting and the other for cashing out the winnings.
These accounts were fraudulently opened, and all bets were manipulated to ensure the company never incurred losses.
Although many new users experienced quick gains, they ultimately suffered significant losses in the long run. Actors Ranbir Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, and Tamannaah Bhatia have been summoned to question their promotion of the betting app and its affiliated companies.
The Actor’s Connection To This App Scam
The Influencer is accused of endorsing betting apps such as Lion Book and Lotus 24/7, which have connections to the Mahadev betting app on various platforms. Police allege he also owns a stake in the above app.
Besides the three others, he was summoned by the Mumbai Crime Branch for questioning in December 2023 regarding their alleged role in promoting the app.
During the Investigation, The Police found that the actor promoted the Lion Book app and participated in their events.
However, the Actor has said that he has no direct connection with the gambling platform.
After the Special Investigation Team questioned him, Mr Khan approached the court for anticipatory bail.
The SIT is investigating illegal transactions between financial and real estate firms and the promoters of the ₹ 15,000 crore Mahadev betting app.
They are also conducting searches for all mobile phones, laptops and other electronic devices linked to the actor are also being searched.