ED Attaches Rs35.80 Crore in 300 Bank Accounts Linked to Illegal Betting and Gambling Racket

Moneylife Digital Team 04 November 2025

Economy & Nation

The directorate of enforcement (ED) has provisionally attached Rs35.80 crore held across more than 300 bank accounts linked to an alleged betting and gambling racket operated through forged documents and dummy accounts. The attachment was made by ED's Ahmedabad zonal office under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA), through a provisional attachment order dated 29 October 2025.

According to the agency, the funds represent the balance amounts in hundreds of accounts that received credits identified as proceeds of crime generated from online betting, gambling and other unlawful activities. The action follows a detailed probe into the operations of a network allegedly led by Jitender Tejabhai Hiragar and others.

ED says its investigation began with the identification of 448 'primary' bank accounts that had been opened using forged identity documents of unsuspecting individuals. These accounts were allegedly acquired and controlled by members of a well-organised racket to enable high-volume transactions linked to illegal betting and other criminal ventures.

As investigators followed the money trail, they traced more than 995 'first-layer' accounts connected to these primary accounts which collectively recorded transactions exceeding Rs1,000 crore. The network reportedly operated across multiple banks and locations, with each layer designed to obscure the source and movement of illicit funds.

The agency’s findings suggest that these bank accounts were not only used to launder the proceeds of online betting and gambling but also served to cheat unsuspecting people who were lured into illegal online gaming platforms. The dummy accounts, opened in the names of innocent individuals without their knowledge, were used to circulate, conceal and layer illegal funds, thereby making it difficult for law enforcement agencies to trace their origin.

In a statement, ED says it has now traced and attached the balances in more than 300 bank accounts held in different banks to the tune of Rs35.80 crore. These accounts, the agency added, were directly linked to the illegal operations facilitated by the accused and their associates.

The probe stems from a first information report (FIR) registered by the crime branch of Ahmedabad city police against Jitender Tejabhai Hiragar and others under the PMLA. The case involves the use of forged documents, identity theft and large-scale money laundering through banking channels.

ED emphasised that the attachments are provisional and further investigation is underway to identify additional assets and beneficiaries involved in the racket.

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