Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached assets worth Rs 307.16 crore in connection with its money laundering probe against “Fairplay”, an online betting and illegal broadcasting platform. The assets, attached under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA),include bank balances and Dubai-based immovable properties, such as land, villas and flats, the Central Agency said on Monday.
The order, issued by the ED’s Mumbai zonal office on September 19, brings the cumulative attachment and seizure in the case to approximately Rs 651.31 crore.
The probe stems from an FIR registered by Viacom18 Media Pvt Ltd with the Nodal Cyber Police, Mumbai, in April 2023 against Fairplay and others for offences under the IPC, Information Technology Act, and Copyright Act. The complaint had alleged a revenue loss exceeding Rs 100 crore. Subsequently, many other FIRs against various entities including Fairplay and its associates for illegal online betting were clubbed with the case, together for investigation.
According to the ED, the proceeds of crime (PoC) in the case run into “several hundred crores,” highlighting the scale of operations and alleged trade-based money laundering, with significant funds reportedly routed abroad.
ED investigation, identified Krish Laxmichand Shah as the mastermind behind Fairplay. Shah is alleged to have set up a web of companies in Curaçao, Dubai, and Malta, including Play Ventures N.V., Dutch Antilles Management N.V., Fair Play Sport LLC, and Fairplay Management DMCC, to manage the operations.
The probe indicates that Fairplay is primarily controlled from Dubai by Shah, with assistance from associates such as Anil Kumar Dadlani. Shah, his family members, and other associates allegedly acquired various movable and immovable assets,, both in their names and through relatives and related entities in the UAE.
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The ED had earlier conducted multiple search operations in 2024, seizing assets, digital devices, and documents. It also issued three provisional attachment orders between November 2024 and January 2025. In February 2025, Chintan Shah and Chirag Shah, described as key persons in the network, were arrested by ED. A prosecution complaint was subsequently filed before the Special PMLA Court, Mumbai, in April this year.
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