The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has carried out what appears to be its largest single attachment against one individual and his connected entities in the Mahadev Online Book money laundering investigation, provisionally attaching assets worth ₹940.77 crore belonging to Vikash Garg, his family members and entities allegedly owned and controlled by him.
The attachment, made under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), includes residential properties, land parcels, equity shares and other securities. According to the ED, the assets represent proceeds of crime allegedly generated through the Mahadev Online Book and Skyexchange illegal betting operations.
The sheer scale of the latest attachment is likely to draw attention within investigative and legal circles. Of the nearly ₹3,800 crore worth of assets attached, seized or frozen in the Mahadev case so far, almost one-fourth is now linked by the ED to Vikash Garg and entities allegedly under his control, making this the most significant action centred around a single individual in the investigation to date.
According to the ED, the investigation has revealed that the illegal betting syndicate operated through a franchise-based panel network from overseas, allegedly generating more than ₹450 crore every month. The agency claims the proceeds were layered through a network of shell entities and accommodation entries before being invested in shares, securities, land and other assets.
The probe, which originated from multiple FIRs registered by police authorities in Chhattisgarh and other states, alleges that approximately ₹940.77 crore in proceeds of crime were routed into entities allegedly controlled by Vikash Garg before being deployed into various investments.
The latest attachment adds another significant chapter to one of India’s biggest money laundering investigations linked to illegal online betting. Earlier, the ED had issued seven Provisional Attachment Orders and filed multiple prosecution complaints before the Special PMLA Court in Raipur.
With this action, the cumulative value of assets attached, seized or frozen in the Mahadev Online Book case has risen to approximately ₹3,800 crore, including assets located overseas.
While the investigation remains ongoing, the magnitude of the latest attachment places Vikash Garg among the most prominent individuals named in the ED’s investigation, underscoring what investigators allege to be his central role in the financial trail under scrutiny.
