Pre-arrest bail plea of Sahil Khan rejected in MOB case
MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Wednesday dismissed the pre-arrest bail plea of actor and fitness influencer Sahil Khan in connection with an FIR registered against him for allegedly promoting online betting applications, stating that “he was directly connected with an online betting application.”
“The entire operation is illegal. A huge amount is involved. Fictitious bank accounts are created. Different fake SIM cards are used in big numbers. The applicant is directly connected wi t h the App ‘ The Lion Book247,’” said a single judge bench of justice SV Kotwal while dismissing the plea.
The court also noted that the investigation being conducted by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) had revealed that there were 67 betting websites, all of which were being controlled from foreign destinations, over 2,000 bogus SIM cards (obtained on bogus documents) were used to lure gullible people to place bets on various games. Over 1,700 bank accounts opened using fake documents were used to collect and withdraw money, which was subsequently routed through Hawala channels and cryptocurrency.
The FIR was originally registered by the Matunga police in November 2023, based on a complaint lodged by Prakash Bankar, a social activist, alleging that several web portals were designed for online betting/gambling on cricket, football, tennis, and card games like teen patti etc. In his FIR, Bankar alleged that the accused used social media platforms to prey on prospective players and induce them to invest and sign up on the portal.