KC Veerendra was arrested in Gangtok, Sikkim, and was produced before a magistrate, where the agency officials obtained a transit remand to produce him before a Bengaluru court.
Photo: SNS
The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) on Saturday arrested a Karnataka MLA under the provisions of PMLA in connection with an alleged illegal betting case (both online and offline), the agency said.
KC Veerendra was arrested in Gangtok, Sikkim, and was produced before a magistrate, where the agency officials obtained a transit remand to produce him before a Bengaluru court.
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The arrest followed searches conducted by the ED’s Bengaluru Zonal Office on Friday and Saturday at 31 locations across the country, including Gangtok, Chitradurga district, Bengaluru, Hubli, Jodhpur, Mumbai and Goa (including at five casinos), in connection with the case against Veerendra and others over alleged illegal online and offline betting.
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The searches revealed that the accused was allegedly running several online betting sites, while his brother was operating three Dubai-based entities linked to call centre services and the MLA’s gaming business, the agency claimed.
The ED seized about Rs 12 crore in cash, including nearly Rs 1 crore in foreign currency, gold jewellery worth around Rs 6 crore, 10 kg of silver articles, and four vehicles under the provisions of the PMLA, 2002.
The agency also froze 17 bank accounts and two lockers, and seized several property-related documents from the premises of people linked to MLA Veerendra.
It was revealed that the MLA, along with his associates, had travelled to Gangtok via Bagdogra on a business visit to lease a land casino.
According to agency sources, the seized material also suggests complex layering of cash and other funds.
Further investigation is underway.
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