The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested KC Veerendra, a Karnataka Congress MLA from Chitradurga, in Gangtok, Sikkim, on August 23, 2025, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, for his alleged involvement in illegal online and offline betting operations. The arrest followed a two-day nationwide search operation conducted by the ED's Bengaluru Zonal Office on August 22 and 23, 2025, covering 31 locations across Gangtok, Chitradurga, Bengaluru, Hubballi, Jodhpur, Mumbai, and Goa.

The raids targeted five casinos in Goa, including Puppy’s Casino Gold, Ocean Rivers Casino, Puppy’s Casino Pride, Ocean 7 Casino, and Big Daddy Casino.The ED seized approximately ₹12 crore in cash, including ₹1 crore in foreign currency (comprising 100 US Dollars, 10 and 20 British Pounds, 500 Dirhams, and 100 and 50 Euro notes), gold jewellery worth ₹6 crore, 10 kg of silver articles, and four vehicles. Additionally, 17 bank accounts and two bank lockers were frozen, and numerous property-related documents were seized from premises linked to Veerendra’s brother, KC Nagaraj, and his son, Pruthvi N Raj. Incriminating documents revealed Veerendra’s operation of online betting platforms like King567 and Raja567, with his brother KC Thippeswamy allegedly managing related operations from Dubai through companies such as Diamond Softech, TRS Technologies, and Prime9Technologies.TTD Gears Up for Annual Srivari Brahmotsavams: EO Inspects Preparations in Tirumala

Veerendra, who was in Gangtok to lease a land casino, was produced before a Judicial Magistrate in Gangtok, and a transit remand was obtained to bring him to Bengaluru for further investigation. The ED’s findings indicate a sophisticated network involving complex layering of funds, with ongoing investigations to identify additional proceeds of crime.