Nagpur: In a significant development, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has initiated an investigation into an online gaming fraud amounting to a staggering Rs 58 crore. The ED’s involvement comes as the case gains attention due to its magnitude and potential impact on the online gaming industry. The ED is currently investigating the money trails to unearth the depth of the scam.
The fraud came to light when the Nagpur police conducted a raid on the residence of the alleged mastermind behind the fraud, Ananth alias Sontu Navratan Jain, in Gondia. According to a senior police official, the ED has obtained a copy of the First Information Report (FIR) pertaining to the case and has begun conducting a separate investigation parallel to that of the Nagpur police.
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Saturday 23 Nov. 2024
The ED’s involvement indicates the suspicion of money laundering activities associated with the multi-crore fraud. During the raid on Sontu’s residence, the police had seized Rs 17 crore cash, 14 kg gold, and 294 kg silver, collectively worth Rs 27 crore. The magnitude of the seizure discovered the extensive spread of the fraud across Central India.
It has been revealed that the accused Sontu operated an illegal online gaming platform under the guise of ‘DiamondExchange.com.’The platform allegedly manipulated unsuspecting victims into engaging in various gambling activities, such as Rummy and Teen Patti, leading to significant financial losses for many. Investigations have further exposed that Sontu’s modus operandi involved collaboration with gaming application developers to create dummy players who would initially win games, enticing more victims to join the platform. However, these players would eventually fell prey to bogus schemes.
The ED officials suspect that Sontu had anonymous bank accounts to hide his money transactions, as 17 bank accounts linked to the accused are being identified by the Nagpur police. It was found that Sontu operated these accounts from Ahmedabad in Gujarat and Dharwad in Karnataka, adding complexity to the investigation for the police. The members of Sontu’s family, relatives, friends, and two persons from Nagpur (Rinku and Rammu) have mysteriously disappeared since being served notices by the Nagpur Cyber Police Station to record their statements.
The police are actively tracing their mobile phone numbers for further leads in the case. The investigation into this online gaming fraud case started when a Nagpur-based businessman approached the police, claiming to have been duped of Rs 58 crore by Sontu’s gaming platform. He alleged that the results were manipulated, leading to substantial financial losses to him. When the victim demanded his money back, Sontu not only refused but also issued threats. Under immense financial pressure, the victim arranged Rs 40 lakh through friends and transferred it to Sontu via a hawala trader.
