New Delhi, Dec 28 (IANS): The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally seized assets valued at Rs. 3.68 crore linked to Dinesh Kumar Rathi and other associates, who are under investigation for their alleged involvement in online cricket betting, under the PMLA, an official said.

This includes bank balances totaling Rs. 2.14 crore and immovable assets amounting to Rs. 1.54 core situated in Odisha, Kolkata, and Pune.

According to the ED officials, they have initiated the investigation on the basis of an FIR and charge sheet filed by the Odisha Police under various sections of IPC and Prize Chit and Money Circulation Schemes (Banning) Act, 1978.

ED investigation revealed that Rathi, R. Lalie Achary and their accomplices had allegedly being running an online betting racket.

"The accused persons lured gullible public to invest money in this illegal betting racket and gave them a false assurance of getting a profitable margin of return while syphoning off their hard-earned money," said the official.

"The accused persons, hence, allegedly accumulated proceeds of crime which were subsequently invested in properties and also used for their personal gain,” the official added.