ED raids MLA K C Veerendra in Rs 12 crore illegal betting case; cash, gold and foreign currency seized

Massive ED crackdown uncovers illegal betting network tied to MLA K C Veerendra; raids span 31 locations including five Goa casinos, with cash, gold, vehicles, and bank accounts seized.

In a sweeping action against illegal betting, the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) Bengaluru Zonal Office raided 31 locations across India on August 22 and 23, 2025. The crackdown, connected to Chitradurga MLA K C Veerendra, spanned cities including Bengaluru, Hubli, Mumbai, Jodhpur, Gangtok and Goa, where five major casinos were also searched.

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Investigators uncovered an elaborate network of online betting sites like King567 and Raja567, allegedly operated by Veerendra and his associates. His brother K C Thippeswamy, based in Dubai, was found running three entities—Diamond Softech, TRS Technologies and Prime9 Technologies—linked to gaming and call centre services.

The raids led to the seizure of Rs 12 crore in cash (Rs 1 crore in foreign currency), gold worth Rs 6 crore, 10 kg silver articles, and four luxury vehicles under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. Authorities also froze 17 bank accounts and two lockers, along with property records from Veerendra’s relatives, including his brother K C Nagaraj and nephew Pruthvi N Raj.

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Officials revealed that Veerendra and his associates recently travelled to Gangtok via Bagdogra to negotiate a casino lease, indicating the scale of their expansion. The ED has cited evidence of complex fund layering and laundering operations. Veerendra was arrested in Gangtok on August 23 and remanded to Bengaluru jurisdictional court for further proceedings.

The investigation into the vast betting empire and its financial trails is still ongoing.

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