Burman family denies involvement, dubs it attempt to halt Religare acquisition
Claims linking two senior members of the Dabur-affiliated Burman family to the Mahadev app case have been refuted. They claim the allegations are an effort to obstruct their acquisition of a share in Religare Enterprises, stated an agency report. The family fiercely disputes having anything to do with the matter, calling the FIR a scheming attempt by special interests to thwart their aspirations to acquire a business.
According to the report, in a statement, the Burman family stated it was shocked by “arm twisting” move and stated, “This FIR (first information report) is nothing but a step provoked by vested interests in an attempt to block the acquisition of Religare Enterprises by the Burman family.”
The Mumbai Police have named 32 individuals in the First Information Report (FIR) related to the alleged Rs 15,000 crore scandal involving the betting app as of 2019. These individuals include Mohit and Gaurav Burman of Dabur. The Burman family, however, maintains that neither Mohit nor Gaurav are aware of the accused, who is referenced in the case.
They further wrote, “Curiously, the FIR comes at a time when the Burman Family has sought to increase its existing shareholding of 21.24 percent in Religare Enterprises and launched a legitimate open offer under the SEBI Takeover Code.”
In keeping with the SEBI Takeover Code, they have timed their declaration to coincide with their bid to raise their interest in Religare Enterprises through a lawful open offer. They have raised concerns about Religare`s governance with the board and authorities, bringing up issues pertaining to the company`s current chairman, Rashmi Saluja.
The family claims that these actions are illegal and intended to thwart their efforts to acquire Religare. They are steadfast in their pursuit of the acquisition in spite of these obstacles. They admit that they haven`t heard anything official about the FIR, but they have seen the paper making the rounds in the media. They added that the FIR is “patently false and baseless”.
Congress leader and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has also disputed the Enforcement Directorate`s recent claim that the he was a betting app promoter and was paid more than Rs 508 crore.
With agency inputs