Illegal betting case: K’taka HC seeks ED’s response on plea for interim release of arrested Cong MLA
The Karnataka High Court is asking the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for its take on temporarily releasing Congress MLA K.C. Veerendra from custody for the Dussehra festival. This comes as the court reviews a petition from Veerendra’s wife, R.D. Chaitra, who wants her husband out for two or three days to celebrate the festival.
Chaitra’s plea goes further, calling Veerendra’s arrest illegal and arguing it violates his basic rights under Articles 19 and 21 of the Indian Constitution. The court has put off its final decision on the main petition until October 8.
Veerendra’s lawyer pushed for the short release, tying it to the upcoming Dussehra festivities. But the ED, represented by Additional Solicitor General Arvind Kamat, pushed back, saying any such request should go through the regular bail court.
The bench, led by Justice M.I. Arun, stepped in to suggest a quick consultation with ED officials. They noted that a brief, temporary release wouldn’t disrupt the ongoing illegal betting scam investigation, as long as Veerendra returns to custody right after. The court stressed that people shouldn’t stay locked up unless it’s truly needed pre-trial, especially since this is a petition under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure—not a full bail hearing.
If the ED agrees, the court might greenlight a few days’ freedom, with strict conditions like surrendering afterward. Kamat said he’d get fresh instructions and update the court soon. The next hearing is set for September 26, and both sides must submit detailed summaries on the arrest’s validity and the ED’s handling of the case.
This all stems from the ED’s probe into an illegal online betting operation linked to Veerendra. Back on September 2, ED teams raided 31 locations across Bengaluru, Challekere, Panaji, Gangtok, Jodhpur, Hubli, and Mumbai under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). They uncovered how Veerendra and his associates raked in over Rs 2,000 crore through a single payment gateway for shady websites like King567, Raja567, and Lion567.
The raids turned up big hauls: Rs 12 crore in cash, gold jewelry worth Rs 6 crore, about 10 kg of silver items, and four vehicles. Investigators also froze Rs 55 crore in total, including Rs 40.69 crore in Veerendra’s nine bank accounts and one Demat account, plus Rs 14.46 crore across 262 “mule” accounts tied to the betting sites.
The ED says the group used multiple gateways to funnel money from these illegal platforms, cheating the public on a massive scale. As the investigation continues, the focus stays on how this money laundering scheme operated and who else was involved.
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