Mahadev Betting App Scam: Mastermind Saurabh Chandrakar Arrested In UAE

Saurabh Chandrakar, the alleged kingpin in the scam linked to online betting platform Mahadev Book, has reportedly been arrested in the UAE on money laundering charges.

Chandrakar was allegedly involved in money laundering and orchestrated match-fixing of major cricket matches and tournaments held in India through the Mahadev app. 

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is likely to make a formal request for his extradition from the UAE soon, the Economic Times reported, citing sources.

It is pertinent to note that the ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY) blocked the Mahadev app last year amid allegations that a large number of people had been defrauded of nearly INR 15,000 Cr through the gambling app.

The gambling app, allegedly run by Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal from Dubai, allowed users to bet in real-time on a number of games, including cricket, football, and tennis. The app was widely popular and had nearly 10 Mn users at its peak.

However, an investigation by the ED revealed that the app was being used to launder money between India and Dubai through dubious banking methods or ‘hawala’ transactions. The proceeds of the crime in the case are estimated to be around INR 20,000 Cr, of which INR 1,100 Cr were diverted into the stock market through dummy accounts and fake bank entities.

The ED probe into the Mahadev online gaming and betting app indicated that several high-profile politicians and bureaucrats from Chhattisgarh were allegedly involved in the scandal.

Former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, along with other politicians and bureaucrats, was accused earlier of accepting kickbacks of over INR 500 Cr from the main promoters and operatives of the app.

The ED began its probe into the Mahadev betting app scam after Chandrakar’s lavish wedding celebration in the UAE made headlines in February last year. The wedding cost around INR 200 Cr, with at least half a dozen Indian celebrities paid to perform at the event. Private jets were hired to ferry relatives of Chandrakar from India.

Later, the probe agency reportedly froze funds worth over INR 1,700 Cr and arrested nearly a dozen persons in connection with the money laundering case linked to the Mahadev Book app.