ED seizes Rs 50-crore worth gold in fresh raids in betting case involving Karnataka MLA, others
ew Delhi (PTI): The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday said it has seized about 40 kg of gold worth Rs 50.33 crore during fresh searches in an online betting case that allegedly involves arrested Karnataka Congress MLA K C Veerendra and some others.
The 24-carat gold bullion was recovered from two lockers located in Challakere in Karnataka's Chitradurga district, it said in a statement.
The agency did not disclose the identity of the gold's owner.
The ED had arrested the 50-year-old legislator from the Chitradurga Assembly seat in August. He was held in Sikkim, where he had gone on a business trip to lease a casino. Veerendra is currently in jail under judicial custody, and the ED has called him the "prime accused" in the case.
The federal probe agency had earlier seized assets worth Rs 103 crore in this case in the form of 21 kg gold bars, cash, gold and silver jewellery, deposits kept in bank accounts and luxury vehicles.
It is alleged that Veerendra, in association with other friends and family members, was involved in operations of several "illegal" online betting websites like 'King567' and 'Raja567', among others and "cheated" innocent people.
"The funds collection from players has been routed using several gateways like FonePaisa. The money collected was routed through several mule accounts, which are sourced by these betting operators from intermediaries from all across India," it said.
The probe has found a "nexus" of online betting apps with isolated instances of cybercrime across India, by way of mule accounts created in the name of individuals in exchange for petty sums.
The estimated turnover of these betting applications being "controlled" by Veerendra is more than Rs 2,000 crore, the agency claimed.
It has earlier been claimed that the MLA, his family members and associates booked international travel tickets worth crores of rupees, and these were financed through a network of "mule" accounts linked to proceeds from online betting websites
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Mangaluru: Teacher booked for allegedly beating student in school
Vittla (Dakshina Kannada): A case has been registered at the Vittla Police Station against a school teacher on charges of seriously assaulting a student with a cane at an English-medium school in Idkidu village here near Vittla in Dakshina Kannada district.
According to the complaint, the student, who attends the school regularly, had gone to school as usual. Around 2 pm, the child’s parents received a call from the school office stating that their child had allegedly disturbed other students. The school informed them that when the teacher scolded the student over the issue, the child became frightened and urinated, and the parents were asked to come and take the child home.
The parents reportedly told the school staff that no one was at home at the time and requested that the child be sent home in an autorickshaw.
After returning home, the student told the parents that a teacher identified as Istikaar had beaten him severely on the hand with a cane. The child also said that he urinated out of fear while the assault was taking place.
When the parents contacted the teacher over the phone to question him about the incident, he allegedly responded in a dismissive manner.
Following this, the parents lodged complaints with the Vittla Police Station and the Child Development Project Office, seeking justice and strict action against the teacher for allegedly assaulting the child without any valid reason.
Police have registered a case against the teacher and have taken up further investigation.
