In a major crackdown, Karnataka Congress MLA KC Veerendra, popularly known as ‘Puppy,’ was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Sikkim. The arrest comes amid an investigation into a sprawling illegal betting network stretching across multiple states and even involving international casinos in Dubai. Veerendra, representing the Chitradurga Assembly seat, is accused of running both online and offline betting operations.
Multi-State Raids
The ED carried out raids at 31 locations across Karnataka, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Mumbai, and Goa. Goa casinos included ‘Puppy’s Casino Pride,’ ‘Puppy’s Casino Gold,’ ‘Ocean Rivers Casino,’ ‘Ocean 7 Casino,’ and ‘Big Daddy Casino.’ Pictures released by the ED showed stacks of cash spread across casino tables, highlighting the scale of the alleged operations.
Seized Cash and Jewellery
Officials seized Rs 12 crore in cash, including Rs 1 crore in foreign currency. They also recovered gold jewellery worth Rs 6 crore, about 10 kg of silver, and four high-end vehicles.
The ED also seized the Karnataka Congress MLA’s international casino membership cards from ‘MGM,’ ‘Bellagio,’ and ‘Marina,’ along with luxury hotel memberships and high-value credit and debit cards. Around two lockers and 17 bank accounts were frozen. Authorities are also probing the source of funds for Veerendra’s lavish car collection, including vehicles with the coveted 003 registration number.
Investigators revealed links to Dubai, where the Karnataka Congress MLA’s associates reportedly manage online gaming businesses. His brother, K.C. Thippeswamy, runs three companies—Diamond Softech, TRS Technologies, and Prime9Technologies—from the UAE. Several online betting platforms, including ‘Puppy’s003,’ ‘Raja567,’ ‘King567,’ and ‘Rathna Gaming,’ are also under investigation.
At present, the Karnataka Congress MLA was brought before a magistrate, and a transit remand was granted to present him in Bengaluru. The ED continues its investigation into the multi-crore illegal betting operation.
