Amidst a Congress protest outside the ED Office, the Chief Minister's political advisor, Vinod Verma, and the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) were engaged in providing their statements to the central investigative agency.
Sources reveal that Vinod Verma and OSD Manish Banchor were interviewed by the ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). This development follows the agency's search operations carried out on August 23, 2023, at the residences of these influential officials. The questioning pertained to their connection with the Mahadev online illegal betting app.
In a parallel strand of this case, ED issued summonses to 52 individuals and detained ASI Chandrabhusan Verma, Satish Chandrakar, Anil Damani, and Sunil Damani. During investigations, ASI Chandrabhusan Verma admitted his involvement in substantial cash transactions, including those related to Hawala.
Additionally, revelations emerged regarding undisclosed payments made to influential figures both within the state and internationally. These payments were purportedly aimed at maintaining the seamless operation of the illicit online betting network.