Mahadev online betting app kingpin Saurabh Chandrakar arrested in Dubai; extradition to India underway
PTC Web Desk: In a significant breakthrough, Saurabh Chandrakar, the alleged mastermind behind the Mahadev online betting app scam, was arrested in Dubai on Friday. The arrest follows a Red Corner Notice issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The scam is believed to have defrauded the public of over Rs 5,000 crore through illegal betting and gambling platforms. The authorities are currently working on Chandrakar's extradition, with sources from the ED indicating that he could be brought back to India within a week. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been informed about this development.
The Mahadev betting app operated through a network of panel operators across India, laundering money from illegal betting activities. Chandrakar is suspected of having connections with the D Company. Multiple states have registered cases against the Mahadev app, and investigations into its operations are ongoing.
In December 2023, another key promoter, Ravi Uppal, was detained in Dubai based on an Interpol Red Notice issued at the request of the ED.
The ED's investigation revealed that the Mahadev Online Book App is managed from a central office in the UAE, operating on a 70-30 profit-sharing model with franchise partners. The scam involved large-scale hawala transactions to transfer betting proceeds to offshore accounts, alongside significant cash expenditures in India for promoting betting websites.
The promoters of the company are originally from Bhilai, Chhattisgarh, and the Mahadev app functions as a syndicate facilitating online platforms for illegal betting.
- With inputs from agencies
