The CBI conducted searches at 33 locations across six states, dismantling live betting panels linked to Mahadev Online Book, while the ED arrested promoter Saurabh Chandrakar following his extradition from Oman
The searches and arrest mark a fresh push by investigating agencies to dismantle the betting syndicate’s
domestic network and trace its alleged money laundering operations
The CBI seized digital devices, mobile phones and documents indicating the use of mule bank accounts and hawala networks, while the ED secured seven days of custody of Chandrakar until November 19 for further investigation
The government’s noose around the online betting scam case, Mahadev app, has tightened further. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) searched 33 locations across six states at the premises of panel operators linked to the illegal betting platform based on disclosures made by Saurabh Chandrakar, one of the platform’s principal promoters.
Chandrakar was extradited from Oman by the CBI earlier this month.
During the searches, the CBI found live betting and gambling panels operating at several locations and dismantled them. The agency also seized digital devices, mobile phones and documents allegedly indicating the use of mule bank accounts and hawala networks.
Yesterday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Chandrakar under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, with the permission of a special court in Raipur. The court has granted the agency seven days of custody till November 19 for further investigation.
After being brought to India on November 1, Chandrakar was arrested by the CBI and remanded to eight days of police custody on November 4. On November 12, a special CBI court sent him to judicial custody till November 19 after the agency did not seek further custodial remand. The ED arrested him the following day in its separate money laundering investigation and secured seven days of custody.
Besides, Ravi Uppal, another promoter of the Mahadev betting platform, is also said to have been arrested in the UAE. Indian investigating agencies are reportedly working to secure his extradition to India.
Uppal was previously detained in the UAE in 2023, but local investigating agencies subsequently found that he was in Australia. Both Uppal and Chandrakar are also alleged to have obtained passports from Vanuatu.
The CBI took over 13 FIRs registered by the Chhattisgarh government in connection with the Mahadev betting app case. The agency is investigating separate cases linked to the alleged betting operations and corruption surrounding the syndicate.
The CBI said the platform operates from abroad through a central head office, while its Indian operations are managed by a large network of panel operators. These operators create and manage customer IDs, collect betting money through bank accounts opened or hired in other people’s names, and transfer the proceeds overseas through hawala channels.
The ED has also searched around 190 premises in connection with the case. It has seized or frozen assets worth approximately ₹2,000 Cr and attached properties valued at around ₹ 3,500 Cr. This includes overseas assets worth around ₹ 1,800 Cr, including 22 immovable properties in Dubai.
The agency has filed six prosecution complaints against 116 accused. Chandrakar is the 15th person to be arrested in the case.
In its main complaint, filed on October 20, 2023, the ED estimated that the betting syndicate generated around ₹450 Cr in monthly earnings. Its investigation found that the operation was run through a Dubai-based head office, with panel operators spread across India and the UAE.
The ED also traced funds allegedly routed through hawala operators and invested in the share market. In September 2023, it identified securities worth around ₹236 Cr held by Dubai-based companies.
In July, the ED arrested Vikas Garg, chairman of Ebix Group, alleging that proceeds of crime generated through Mahadev Online Book and another betting platform, Skyexchange, were routed into entities owned or controlled by him. The agency said around ₹940.77 Cr was channelled into these entities and subsequently layered through various transactions to acquire shares, securities and other assets. It also attached properties worth approximately ₹940.77 Cr belonging to Garg, his family members and associated entities.
The investigation has also examined alleged links between the betting syndicate and politicians, bureaucrats and other individuals. The ED has alleged that some of the betting proceeds were routed through hawala channels and used to acquire properties overseas.
The CBI said its investigation is ongoing and will examine the role of other accused, including those based abroad, panel operators and public servants.
The ED, meanwhile, plans to question Chandrakar using statements from his associates, digital evidence and documents related to his foreign entities and alleged money laundering activities.