Who Is Actor Sahil Khan And What Is His Role In Mahadev Betting App Case

Bollywood actor Sahil Khan was arrested in Chhattisgarh today over his alleged involvement in the Mahadev betting app case after a 40-hour long operation by the Mumbai police. Mr Khan is among 32 people charged with promoting the betting app.

Mr Khan was arrested after the Bombay High Court rejected his petition for interim bail. Sources said he had fled Mumbai after his petition was rejected. He has been remanded to four days in police custody.

Who is Sahil Khan?

Born in Kolkata, the 47-year-old actor is known for starring in Bollywood films like 'Style', 'Excuse Me', 'Aladdin' and 'FALTU'. Mr Khan is also a fitness entrepreneur who posts fitness content on his YouTube account which has over 2.8 million subscribers. He also owns his own gym. He married Iranian-born Norwegian actress Negar Khan in 2003 but the couple divorced two years later.

What is his role in Mahadev betting app case?

Mr Khan is accused of promoting betting apps like Lion Book and Lotus 24/7, which are linked to the Mahadev app, on other websites. According to the police, he also has a stake in the Lotus Book 24/7 app.

The actor, along with three others, was summoned by the Mumbai Crime Branch for questioning in December 2023 over their alleged role in promoting the Mahadev betting app. In the investigation, the police found that the actor not only promoted the Lion Book app but also participated in their events.

However, Mr Khan has said that he has no direct connection with the gambling platform.

After the Mumbai Police SIT questioned him, Mr Khan had approached the court for anticipatory bail.  

The SIT is now probing illegal transactions between financial and real estate firms and the promoters of the Rs 15,000 crore Mahadev betting app. All mobile phones, laptops and other electronic devices linked to the actor are also being searched.

What is the Mahadev betting app?

Operated by Chhattisgarh's Saurabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal from Dubai, the Mahadev Online betting app used paid advertisements on social media apps to get people to bet on players and outcomes of IPL matches, football, tennis and other sports.

The app's customer would be provided two numbers -- one to deposit money for betting while the other one was for encashing money. These accounts were opened fraudulently and all the bets were rigged in a manner that the company would not lose money.

While most new users made quick money initially, in the long run they ended up incurring heavy losses. So far, actors Ranbir Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor as well as Tamannaah Bhatia have been summoned for questioning over promoting the betting app and its subsidiaries.