Mahadev app kingpin arrested in Dubai, extradition to India soon

By Team Asianet Newsable | First Published Oct 11, 2024, 3:10 PM IST

Saurabh Chandrakar, the alleged mastermind of the Mahadev online betting app scam, has been arrested in Dubai following a Red Notice issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The scam, involving illegal betting and gaming websites, is estimated to have defrauded over Rs 5,000 crore.

In a major breakthrough, the mastermind behind the Mahadev online betting app scam, Saurabh Chandrakar, was arrested in Dubai on Friday. After the Enforcement Directorate (ED) issued a Red Notice (RN), Chandrakar, the suspected mastermind of the Mahadev betting app fraud, was taken into custody. It is estimated that the scam, which comprises unlawful betting and gaming websites, has defrauded individuals out of more than Rs 5,000 crore.

He is expected to be brought to India soon. Extradition proceedings have already begun, and Chandrakar is anticipated to return to India in a week, according to ED sources. The arrest has been reported to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

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Late last year, when the ED requested that a Red Notice (RN) be issued against them, Chandrakar and another app marketer, Ravi Uppal, were arrested and placed under "house arrest" in that nation.

The Mahadev app operated through a network of panel operators across India, allegedly laundering money from illegal betting activities. Chandrakar is also suspected to have links with the D Company. Investigations into the Mahadev app's functioning are still underway, and cases against it have been filed in many states.

The ED has arrested a total of 11 people in this case till now. Two charge sheets have also been filed by the agency till now, including against the two promoters. The Chhattisgarh Police are also investigating the case.

The ED investigation has shown that the Mahadev Online Book App is run from a central head office in the UAE. It operates by franchising "Panel/Branches" to their known associates on a 70-30 per cent profit ratio.

Large-scale hawala operations are done to siphon off the proceeds of betting to off-shore accounts. The company promoters belong from Bhilai in Chhattisgarh and the Mahadev online book betting application is an umbrella syndicate arranging online platforms for enabling illegal betting websites, it is alleged.

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