Wed Dec 25 05:32:51 UTC 2024: ## Supreme Court Halts ED Access to “Lottery King’s” Seized Devices
**New Delhi** – The Supreme Court of India has intervened in the ongoing money laundering investigation against Santiago Martin, a prominent businessman known as the “lottery king,” temporarily preventing the Enforcement Directorate (ED) from accessing and copying data from electronic devices seized during searches. The ruling comes as the ED investigates Martin’s company, Future Gaming, which was the single largest donor to political parties via now-scrapped electoral bonds.
Martin’s firm purchased over ₹1,368 crore worth of electoral bonds, with a significant portion – nearly 37% – going to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party in Tamil Nadu. The Supreme Court’s decision to halt access to the seized devices follows a November raid on multiple properties linked to Martin, his son-in-law, and associates across several states. The raids yielded ₹8.8 crore in cash.
The ED’s investigation stems from a 2014 CBI case alleging a lottery scam, with a subsequent money laundering complaint filed in 2018. In April 2024, the Supreme Court already stayed proceedings in the money laundering case before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court.
The Supreme Court will now hear Martin’s plea alongside a similar case involving NewsClick, both challenging the seizure of electronic devices by investigative agencies. The court’s decision to halt the ED’s access to Martin’s data underscores the complexities of the case, which intertwines allegations of financial crime with the controversial use of electoral bonds, which the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional in February. The hearing will determine the extent to which investigative agencies can access data from seized devices during investigations.
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