Actor and Fitness Influencer Sahil Khan Arrested in Mahadev Betting App Case, Sent to Police Custody

The Mumbai Police Crime Branch’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) has apprehended actor and fitness influencer Sahil Khan from Chhattisgarh’s Jagdalpur district in connection with the Mahadev betting app case, as confirmed by Joint Commissioner Lakhmi Gautam of the Mumbai Crime Branch on Sunday. Khan, who had been evading authorities for 40 hours, was tracked from Goa to Karnataka, then Hyderabad, before being apprehended in Jagdalpur. He is set to be produced before a local court.

Following his arrest, Sahil Khan was presented before a court at Dadar, which subsequently remanded him to police custody until May 1.

This development transpired after the Bombay High Court rejected Khan’s pre-arrest bail plea, asserting his direct involvement with the online betting application. The court dismissed his plea despite Khan’s argument that he served merely as a brand promoter under an Influencer Engagement Agreement with M/s. Isports247 for the promotion of ‘The Lion Book’ brand.

Justice SV Kotwal, presiding over the single-judge bench, rebuffed Khan’s claims, emphasizing the illegality of the entire operation and Khan’s direct connection with ‘The Lion Book247’ app. The court highlighted findings from the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) investigation, revealing a network of 67 betting websites controlled from foreign locations. Moreover, over 2,000 bogus SIM cards and 1,700 bank accounts, obtained and operated with fraudulent documents, were utilized in the operation, with funds routed through Hawala channels and cryptocurrency.

The genesis of the case dates back to November 2023 when the Matunga Police registered an FIR based on a complaint by social activist Prakash Bankar. The complaint alleged the existence of multiple web portals facilitating online betting and gambling on various sports and card games, including cricket, football, tennis, and ‘teen patti’.

Sahil Khan’s arrest marks a significant development in the ongoing investigation into the Mahadev betting app case, shedding light on the complex network of illicit online gambling operations and the involvement of individuals, including celebrities, in promoting such activities.

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