Kutch: The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Mumbai Zonal Office announced on Monday that it, has provisionally attached movable assets in the form of Demat account holdings and immovable assets, including land, flats, and a commercial warehouse located in Ajmer (Rajasthan), Kutch (Gujarat), Daman, Thane, and Mumbai (Maharashtra), worth approximately ₹219.66 crore. The attachment was made on 22/11/2024 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, as part of an ongoing investigation into the case of *Fairplay*, which was involved in the illegal broadcasting of cricket and IPL matches and various online betting activities.

The ED initiated its investigation based on an FIR registered by the Nodal Cyber Police, Mumbai, against M/s. Fairplay Sport LLC and others, following a complaint by M/s. Viacom18 Media Pvt. Limited. The FIR was filed under various sections of the IPC, 1860, the Information Technology Act, 2000, and the Copyright Act, 1957, for causing a revenue loss exceeding ₹100 crore (proceeds of crime).

The ED’s investigation revealed that Krish Laxmichand Shah, the key person behind *Fairplay*, registered multiple companies such as M/s. Play Ventures N.V. and M/s. Dutch Antilles Management N.V. in Curacao; M/s. Fair Play Sport LLC and M/s. Fairplay Management DMCC in Dubai; and M/s. Play Ventures Holding Limited in Malta for operating *Fairplay*. The investigation uncovered that *Fairplay* is primarily operated by Krish L. Shah from Dubai, with associates like Siddhant Shankaran Iyer (alias Joe Paul), managing its financial aspects, and Chirag Shah and Chintan Shah, overseeing its technological and software development aspects. The investigation also revealed that Krish L. Shah and his associates acquired various movable and immovable assets from proceeds of crime, either in their own names or in the names of relatives or family members.

Earlier, the ED conducted search operations in this case on 12.06.2024, 27.08.2024, 27.09.2024, and 25.10.2024, seizing or freezing various movable assets along with incriminating documents and digital devices. The total attachment and seizure in this case now amount to approximately ₹331.16 crore. Further investigation is underway. DeshGujarat