<p>Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday issued notice to the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in a petition filed by RD Chaitra, wife of Congress MLA KC Veerendra, who is under judicial custody in connection with a case pertaining to illegal online betting and managing gambling websites. Justice MI Arun directed the respondent ED to file its response to the petition.</p><p>On July 22, 2025, the ED registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) against Veerendra on the basis of four FIRs registered against him over 10 to 15 years. All these FIRs were related to alleged cricket betting and gambling activities. </p>.ED steps into Dharmasthala row, probes ‘foreign funding’ angle.<p>Subsequently, the ED registered an addendum ECIR in relation to an FIR registered at Cyber Crime police station, Cyberabad in Telangana and another registered at Harohalli police station in Bengaluru South. After a search and seizure in Karnataka and Goa, the ED arrested Veerendra on August 23.</p><p>The petition alleged that no ‘proceeds of crime’ exists as defined under section 2 (1) (u) of the Prevention of Money Laundering (PML) Act. It was stated that Veerendra was either acquitted or cases against him were quashed and hence, the arrest was illegal. </p><p>The petitioner claimed that Veerendra’s arrest pursuant to the issuance of the grounds of arrest from Gangtok, Sikkim was without jurisdiction as well as illegal, arbitrary and violative of his fundamental rights guaranteed under Article 19 and 21 of the Constitution of India.</p><p>The petition said that none of the companies, cited by the ED, are registered in the name of Veerendra nor is he associated with those companies. Being an elected representative, he has filed assets and liabilities at the time of his candidature, which is a public document, the petition said. </p><p>"The ED is illegally usurping the powers vested with the state police and is encroaching upon the territory of the police for manufacturing and investigating an offence, which is directly in conflict with the federal structure and constitutional scheme,” the petition said.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday issued notice to the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in a petition filed by RD Chaitra, wife of Congress MLA KC Veerendra, who is under judicial custody in connection with a case pertaining to illegal online betting and managing gambling websites. Justice MI Arun directed the respondent ED to file its response to the petition.</p><p>On July 22, 2025, the ED registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) against Veerendra on the basis of four FIRs registered against him over 10 to 15 years. All these FIRs were related to alleged cricket betting and gambling activities. </p>.ED steps into Dharmasthala row, probes ‘foreign funding’ angle.<p>Subsequently, the ED registered an addendum ECIR in relation to an FIR registered at Cyber Crime police station, Cyberabad in Telangana and another registered at Harohalli police station in Bengaluru South. After a search and seizure in Karnataka and Goa, the ED arrested Veerendra on August 23.</p><p>The petition alleged that no ‘proceeds of crime’ exists as defined under section 2 (1) (u) of the Prevention of Money Laundering (PML) Act. It was stated that Veerendra was either acquitted or cases against him were quashed and hence, the arrest was illegal. </p><p>The petitioner claimed that Veerendra’s arrest pursuant to the issuance of the grounds of arrest from Gangtok, Sikkim was without jurisdiction as well as illegal, arbitrary and violative of his fundamental rights guaranteed under Article 19 and 21 of the Constitution of India.</p><p>The petition said that none of the companies, cited by the ED, are registered in the name of Veerendra nor is he associated with those companies. Being an elected representative, he has filed assets and liabilities at the time of his candidature, which is a public document, the petition said. </p><p>"The ED is illegally usurping the powers vested with the state police and is encroaching upon the territory of the police for manufacturing and investigating an offence, which is directly in conflict with the federal structure and constitutional scheme,” the petition said.</p>