The Mahadev Betting Scam: A Brief Overview
The Mahadev Betting app, at the heart of a massive ₹6,000 crore scam, has been under investigation by Indian authorities for its role in facilitating illegal online betting. Promoted by Saurabh Chandrakar, the app became notorious for enabling users to place illegal bets and launder money through a complex web of benami accounts and offshore investments. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has been aggressively pursuing Chandrakar and his associates for their involvement in this multi-state scam, which stretches across India and beyond.
The app operated under the guise of an umbrella syndicate, providing platforms for illegal betting while using fraudulent means to cover up the proceeds of the crime. Despite efforts to evade authorities, Chandrakar’s arrest in Dubai marks a major breakthrough in India’s crackdown on money laundering linked to offshore betting.
Arrest and Extradition of Saurabh Chandrakar
Saurabh Chandrakar, the mastermind behind the Mahadev Betting scam, was formally arrested by UAE authorities following a Red Corner Notice (RCN) issued by Interpol at the request of India’s Enforcement Directorate (ED). Chandrakar had been under house arrest in Dubai, but recent developments saw UAE officials making the arrest official, a move coordinated between the ED, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
A court in the UAE confirmed Chandrakar’s arrest on Thursday and shared the order with Indian officials. According to the ED, documentation for Chandrakar’s extradition is in its final stages. A formal extradition request will soon be sent to the UAE, signaling that his return to India to face charges is imminent.
The Raipur Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court has already issued an extradition order for Chandrakar. Once the legal documentation is completed, the ED will act as the coordinating body, working closely with both UAE and Indian authorities to bring him to justice.
The Long Arm of the Law: ED’s Investigation into the Mahadev Scam
The Enforcement Directorate’s investigation into the Mahadev Betting scam has been extensive and multi-layered. Chandrakar, along with his associate Ravi Uppal, ran the betting syndicate from abroad, having renounced their Indian citizenship in favor of Vanuatu, a small Pacific Island nation known for offering citizenship-by-investment schemes. This allowed them to avoid immediate detection and complicate efforts by Indian authorities to pursue them.
Chandrakar and Uppal allegedly invested the proceeds from the scam in cryptocurrencies, bogus diamond trades, and real estate, both in India and overseas. The ED’s probe revealed a complex laundering system, with the illicit funds being funneled through shell companies and benami accounts to disguise the origin of the money. The agency has filed multiple prosecution complaints, with nine out of 19 accused already arrested. Chargesheets have also been filed by the Mumbai Crime Branch and the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) in Chhattisgarh, naming Chandrakar as the primary accused.
The scale of the scam is staggering. According to the ED, the Mahadev betting app and its subsidiary platforms, including Fairplay, Gold365, and others, were generating a combined monthly income of ₹450 crore. Illegal money was circulated through over 2,000 user IDs, with a fee of ₹3 lakh per panel per month. Investigators estimate the proceeds of crime (PoC) in this case to be around ₹10,000 crore across India, although it could potentially double.
The Involvement of State Authorities and Political Connections
The Mahadev betting scam is not just a financial crime—it has political undertones as well. One of the key revelations in the ED’s probe involved the role of prominent political figures. According to the ED, funds from the scam may have reached former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. An investigation into the email communications of an accused, Shubham Soni, revealed that as much as ₹508 crore had allegedly been paid to Baghel.
Additionally, another accused in the case, Asim Das, who acted as a courier, allegedly transported large sums of cash to Baghel. These claims, if proven true, could have far-reaching implications for the political landscape in Chhattisgarh and beyond. The involvement of political figures in laundering proceeds from illegal betting operations has added a layer of complexity to the case and drawn widespread attention from the media and public.
The Global Reach of the Mahadev Syndicate
The Mahadev betting syndicate was not limited to India. It had international ties, operating across several countries, including Dubai, Spain, Russia, and Pakistan. Investigators have linked Chandrakar’s operations to over two dozen illegal betting websites that were disguised as e-commerce or forex trading portals. Many of these sites have since been banned by the Indian government following the ED’s investigations.
The Mahadev Online Book platform, alongside its subsidiaries like Magicwin, Fairplay, and Lion King, were part of a larger network that facilitated illegal betting, making it a significant threat to India’s financial system. Offshore accounts and foreign investments played a crucial role in laundering the funds, which the ED is now tracking across multiple jurisdictions.
A Crackdown on Illegal Betting and Laundering
Chandrakar’s arrest signals a significant victory for the ED and Indian authorities in their battle against illegal online betting and money laundering. The ED has been working tirelessly to close the loopholes that betting syndicates exploit, particularly those using offshore jurisdictions to evade Indian law.
The Indian government has since banned over two dozen websites involved in the Mahadev syndicate’s operations, and investigations are ongoing to identify more such platforms. The UAE’s cooperation in arresting Chandrakar demonstrates the growing international collaboration in combating financial crimes and extraditing fugitives.
A Long Road to Justice
Saurabh Chandrakar’s arrest in Dubai is a pivotal moment in the fight against money laundering and illegal betting in India. His extradition, once completed, will bring one of the country’s most wanted fugitives back to Indian soil, where he will face justice for orchestrating the Mahadev Betting scam. However, with international ties, political involvement, and billions of rupees at stake, this case is far from over. Authorities continue to investigate, unraveling the complex web of illegal operations that Chandrakar and his associates created.
(With inputs from agencies)
