Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Aug 23: In a major crackdown on illegal betting and money laundering, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Congress MLA K C Veerendra, popularly known as ‘Puppy’, in Sikkim.
The 50-year-old legislator from Chitradurga was taken into custody in connection with a sprawling online and offline betting syndicate.
According to the ED, Veerendra’s arrest came after large-scale raids conducted across multiple states. During these operations, officials seized Rs 12 crore in cash, including foreign currency, gold jewellery valued at Rs 6 crore, approximately 10 kilograms of silver, and four luxury vehicles. The agency has not disclosed the specific locations from where these items were recovered.
Veerendra was produced before a magistrate in Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim, on Friday. The ED secured a transit remand to present him before a court in Bengaluru, where the investigation is being led by the agency’s Bengaluru zonal office.
The MLA had reportedly travelled to Gangtok along with close associates to hold discussions about leasing a casino — a move the ED believes was linked to the expansion of his gambling-related operations. Investigators suspect the trip was part of a broader strategy to extend his network within the betting industry.
Further complicating the case, the ED stated that searches at the residences of Veerendra’s brother, K C Nagaraj, and his nephew, Prithvi N Raj, led to the seizure of multiple documents related to property and financial assets.
Another brother, K C Thippeswamy, is believed to be operating online gaming businesses from Dubai, allegedly in collaboration with other members of the network.
This high-profile arrest is likely to have significant political ramifications, especially as the ED continues to investigate what it suspects is a much wider network of individuals involved in illegal betting and international money laundering. Sources indicate that several more people, both within India and abroad, are now under the agency’s scanner as the probe gathers momentum.